THE  CHIVALRY  OF 
KEITH  LEICESTER 

ROBERT  ALLISON  HOOD 


• 


THIS  BOOK  BELONGS  TO 


THE  CHIVALRY  OF  KEITH  LEICESTER 
ROBERT  ALLISON  HOOD 


UNIV.  OP  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  CHIVALRY 

OF 

KEITH  LEICESTER 

A  ROMANCE  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA 


BY 

ROBERT  ALLISON  HOOD 


NEW   YORK 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1918, 
~By  George  H.  Doran  Company 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


TO 

MY  MOTHER 


2130378 


FOREWORD 

Fair  Tempe's  groves  'neath  Grecian  skies 

With  shout  and  song  re-echo  still; 
And  dancing  nymphs  and  fauns  surprise 

By  rocky  grot  and  foaming  rill; 
While  Pan's  illusive  pipings  fill 

The  leafy  lanes — jocund  appear 
His  whole  bright  frolic  crew  at  will — 

To  such  as  have  the  vision  clear. 

Birthplace  of  chivalrous  emprise, 

Fair  France,  thy  war-scarred  terrain  still 
Is  quaintly  thronged  to  seeing  eyes; 

And  such  may  yet  descry  at  will 
Some  Roland  richly  armed  fulfil 

His  devoir  or  some  Chandos,  dear 
To  story,  hold  the  lists  with  skill — 

If  one  but  have  the  vision  clear. 

To  mortals  blest  with  seeing  eyes, 

The  fairies  walk  in  Arden  still; 
The  magic  light  of  Elfland  lies 

On  grassy  glades,  on  dale  and  hill; 
While  Philomel's  sweet  love-notes  fill 

The  leafy  bowers  where  gay  appear 
Titania's  court  in  costume  chill — 

To  such  as  have  the  vision  clear. 

Far  out  beneath  these  Western  skies, 

We,  too,  may  conjure  up  at  will, 
These  sylph-like  forms — perchance  surprise 

Some  naiad  mirrored  in  the  rill; 
Or  through  the  pine-trees,  sweet  but  shrill 

Pan's  plaintive  pipes  enchanted  hear — 
E'en  fairies  dance  and  roundels  trill — 

For  such  as  have  the  vision  clear. 

ENVOY 

Reader,  herein  a  truth  there  lies 
That  will  to  you,  at  once,  appear; 

For  you  are  blest  with  seeing  eyes — 
We  know  you  have  the  vision  clear. 


THE  CHIVALRY  OF  KEITH  LEICESTER 


THE  CHIVALRY  OF  KEITH 
LEICESTER 


CHAPTER  I 

1  swing  to  the  sunset  land — 
The  world  of  prairie,  the  world  of  plain 

The  world  of  promise  and  hope  and  gain 
The  world  of  gold  and  the  world  of  grain 

And  the  world  of  the  willing  hand. 

PAULINE  JOHNSON. 

KEITH  LEICESTER  had  just  tied  up  his  team  by  the 
store,  where  he  had  come  after  a  hard  day's  work,  to  get 
some  groceries,  and  his  mail,  when  the  distant  roar  of 
the  train  made  him  turn  and  stroll  down  to  the  little 
flag  station,  with  its  rough  shed,  which  was  all  the  ac- 
commodation that  the  C.  P.  R.  considered  necessary  for 
the  few  passengers  that  got  on  and  off  there.  Living  lonely 
in  the  woods,  as  he  did,  the  mere' sight  of  a  train  never 
failed  to  bring  him  a  sensation  of  pleasure.  The  railway, 
to  the  rancher,  is  the  bond  of  communication  that  links 
him  with  the  cities,  the  great  nerve-centres  of  the  world, 
that  seem  often  invested  with  such  a  wondrous  glamour 
to  those  whose  lot  lies  outside  of  them.  Keith,  himself, 
waa  well  enough  acquainted  with  them  to  have  no  such 
illusions,  but,  nevertheless,  he  always  enjoyed  the  little 
thrill  of  the  romantic,  that  the  sight  of  the  passing  trans- 
continental brought  into  his  rather  uneventful  existence. 
He  knew  there  were  ten  chances  to  one  that  the  train 

ii 


12    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

would  not  stop,  but  to  see  her  flying  through,  and  to 
catch  the  whiff  of  her  breath,  would  be  reward  sufficient 
for  the  slight  delay  that  it  would  cost  him. 

Only  old  Jim,  the  store-keeper  down  to  receive  his  mail- 
sacks,  was  at  the  station. 

"It's  the  Imperial  Limited,  Jim,  is  it?"  he  asked,  an- 
swering the  old  man's  cheery  hail. 

"Ay,"  he  replied,  "an'  she's  an  hour  an'  a  half  late; 
some  accident  up  the  line  may  be.  Like  enough  there  be 
some  washout  after  them  heavy  rains." 

She  made  a  brave  sight  as  she  came  round  the  curve 
of  the  track  with  her  head-light  gleaming,  and  the  heavy 
column  of  black  smoke  streaming  out  to  the  side  of  her, 
over  the  sluggish  Eraser  that  lay  an  opalescent  sheet  of 
pink  and  silver  under  the  sunset  glow.  She  whistled 
shrilly,  and  then  the  puff  of  her  engines  ceased  abruptly 
as  the  engineer  put  off  steam. 

"She's  going  to  stop  after  all,  though,"  said  Jim. 
"Must  be  some  one  gettin'  off." 

With  brakes  grinding  heavily  and  sparks  flying  from 
the  wheels,  she  thundered  in,  and  the  conductor  assisted 
one  lone  lady  to  alight,  and  handed  down  her  wrap  and 
bag.  From  the  baggage  car,  a  big  trunk  was  hastily 
thrown  out,  the  conductor  whistled,  the  engine  bell  be- 
gan to  ring,  and,  in  a  moment  or  two,  the  train  was  off 
again. 

The  woman,  or  rather  girl,  for  she  did  not  look  to  be 
more  than  twenty,  seemed  surprised  as  she  looked  around, 
and  saw  the  half -deserted  little  station;  and  she  peered 
anxiously  about,  as  if  she  had  expected  some  one  to  meet 
her. 

"Are  you  the  station-master?"  she  asked  of  old  Jim, 
who  had  gathered  up  his  mail-sacks,  and  was  gazing  at 
her  curiously. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     13 

"Station-agent,  ma'am?  Why,  there  ain't  no  station- 
agent  at  Brayton,"  he  answered  with  an  odd  inflection 
of  his  voice,  as  of  one  resenting  an  unfair  aspersion. 
"There's  one  at  Portlake,  though,  two  miles  farther  west. 
This  is  only  a  flag-station." 

"I  was  expecting  Mr.  Bolton  to  meet  me,  but  the 
train  is  several  hours  late,"  said  the  girl,  her  voice  betray- 
ing her  perplexity. 

"Are  you  the  young  woman  he  was  expecting?  Why 
then,  ma'am,  he  wasn't  looking  for  you  till  to-morrow.  He 
was  down  at  the  store  on  Saturday  and  he  told  me  so." 

"But  I  telegraphed  him  that  I  was  coming  a  day  earlier. 
I  telegraphed  him  the  day  before  yesterday." 

"Ah,  well,  then  be  sure  he  never  got  it,  for  he  ain't 
been  down  to-day,  and  they  wouldn't  send  it  out  to  him. 
Why,  it's  four  miles  to  his  place,  an'  the  road — well, 
it's  the  newest  and  the  roughest  of  all  the  roads  here- 
abouts, an'  that's  sayin'  a  good  deal  J  can  tell  you" ;  and 
Jim  spat  emphatically  to  clinch  his  assertion. 

"But  what  am  I  to  do  then?  Is  there  no  one  I  could 
get  to  drive  me  out  to  his  farm  ?" 

Keith,  alas,  was  a  misogynist,  or  at  least  thought  he 
was,  and  had  no  desire  to  play  squire  to  distressed  dam- 
sels ;  so  he  turned  away,  and  walked  up  to  the  store,  fear- 
ing that  he  might  be  called  upon  to  take  the  girl  to  her 
destination.  He  remembered,  however,  that  he  had  some 
ploughshares  to  leave  at  the  blacksmith's  house  to  be  sharp- 
ened, on  the  morrow.  When  he  returned  from  doing  this, 
and  had  entered  the  store,  he  found  old  Jim  and  the  girl 
were  there  before  him,  and  the  two  were  holding  an  anx- 
ious conference  in  the  rear.  The  latter  spoke  low  but  the 
store-keeper's  voice  with  its  harsh,  resonant  drawl  filled 
the  whole  place,  so  that  Keith  could  not  help  hearing 
what  he  said. 


14    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Yes,  yes,  it's  too  bad,  miss,"  the  old  man  was  saying 
soothingly;  "but  ye  see,  there  ain't  no  hotel  in  this  here 
little  place — ain't  no  need  for  it,  in  fact." 

"~No,  there  ain't  no  one  handy  that  I  know  on,  what 
could  take  you  up  to-night,"  he  continued,  after  she  had 
spoken.  "Gus  Oleson  went  down  to  Portlake  an'  he  won't 
be  back  till  late — like  as  not,  he'll  be  drunk  by  then,  too. 
Al  Snider  might  have  gone — he's  my  next  neighbour 
here — but  Al's  sick  in  bed,  poor  fellow — down  with  this 
here  grippe,  I  guess.  I'd  ha'  put  you  up  here  all  night, 
only  my  wife's  brother  and  his  family  are  staying  with 
us  and  we're  all  doubled  up  as  it  is.  Gosh!  there's  Mr. 
Leicester  though,  I  never  thought  of  him." 

The  old  man  came  forward  to  the  counter. 

"Her  name's  Miss  Coon,"  he  said  to  Keith,  in  what  was 
the  nearest  approach  to  an  undertone  that  was  possible 
to  him,  "an'  I  think  she  must  be  the  hired  girl  that  Bolton 
was  talking  about  gettin'  that  last  time  he  was  in.  His 
wife's  been  kind  o'  poorly  this  while  back.  I  shouldn't 
think  that  little  thing  would  be  much  good  on  a  ranch. 
She  ain't  over  stout,  I  should  say.  However,  Bolton  ought 
to  know  what  he's  getting.  The  poor  girl's  tired  I  guess. 
'Pears  to  be  a  bit  upset  about  Bolton  not  meeting  her. 
What  with  the  wife's  mother  and  brother  being  here  just 
now,  we  hain't  really  a  place  to  put  her;  an'  there  ain't 
no  place  else  nearby  where  she  could  go.  Couldn't  you 
take  her  up  with  you,  Mr.  Leicester,  and  Mrs.  Dalrymple, 
your  housekeeper,  could  fix  her  up  for  the  night.  She 
could  walk  through  across  the  creek  to  Bolton's  in  the 
morning?  It  ain't  but  a  step  from  your  place  thataway, 
though  it  is  such  a  longish  bit  by  road." 

"Oh  get  along,  Jim;  I  don't  want  her  with  me,  man," 
said  Keith  irritably.  "Let  Bolton  look  after  his  own 
hired  girl;  or  send  little  Jim  up  with  her  in  the  buggy." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     15 

"I'm  afeared  to  send  little  Jim,  that  mare  is  such  a 
fool;  and  the  roads  are  so  muddy,  too.  You  know  what 
it'd  be  like  going  up  that  hill  to  Bolton's  in  the  daylight 
now,  let  alone  in  the  dark.  They'd  like  as  not  go  over  the 
grade,  buggy  and  all,  in  them  dark  canyons." 

"Oh  well,"  Keith  assented  with  none  too  good  a  grace, 
"I'll  take  her  up  with  me.  Mrs.  Dalrymple  can  put  her 
up,  I  dare  say,  for  the  night;  and  we'll  be  rid  of  her  in 
the  morning.  What  did  you  say  her  name  was  ?" 

"Miss  Coon,  it  sounded  like." 

Keith  went  over  to  where  she  sat. 

"Well,  Miss  Coon,"  he  said,  perhaps  a  little  ungra- 
ciously, "Jim  here  has  been  telling  me  about  the  plight 
you're  in.  Seeing  there  appears  to  be  no  one  else  to  do  it, 
I  suppose  I  must  step  into  the  breach  and  take  you  up 
with  me.  My  place  isn't  far  from  Bolton's." 

She  looked  up  at  him  and  hesitated  for  a  moment. 

"I  shall  be  very  grateful,  I'm  sure,"  she  said  with  a 
smile.  "I  am  sorry  to  put  you  to  the  trouble  but  I  had  no 
idea  that  I  would  find  no  one  here  to  meet  me." 

"I'll  take  your  bag  and  Jim  here  will  look  after  your 
trunk  till  Bolton  comes  down  for  it.  I  suppose  we  had  bet- 
ter be  going  and  get  all  the  daylight  there  is  left" ;  and  he 
led  the  way  out  to  where  the  team  was  standing,  the 
girl  following  meekly  with  old  Jim. 


CHAPTEK  II 

Black  as  your  hat  was  the  night,  and  never  a  star  in  the  heavens. 
Thundering  down  the  grade,  the  gravel  and  stones  we  serf  frying 
Over  the  precipice  side — a  thousand  feet  plumb  to  the  Irottbm. 

BEET  HARTE. 

SHE  climbed  up  after  him  into  the  high  democrat  and 
the  horses,  cold  with  standing,  started  off  at  a  brisk  trot. 
There  was  a  chill  in  the  air  as  the  sun  had  now  gone 
down  and  the  sky  was  black  with  heavy  clouds  which 
had  been  rolling  up  from  the  east.  The  frogs  had  already 
begun  their  evening  concert  in  the  ditches.  Before  them 
to  the  North,  the  mountains  showed  a  dark  blue  against 
the  still  luminous  sky;  and  the  scattered  farm  houses  on 
either  side  began  to  show  out  their  lights.  Under  the  horses* 
feet  the  roads  were  deep  with  sticky  mud ;  and  they  were 
soon  fain  to  change  their  trot  to  a  steady  plodding  walk. 

They  drove  along  for  some  time  in  silence.  Keith  was 
not  inclined  to  exert  himself  to  make  conversation  and  his 
companion  appeared  either  too  tired  or  too  shy  to  begin. 
His  ill-humour,  however,  was  not  lasting  and  he  began 
to  feel  he  ought  to  say  something  at  least,  to  make  her 
feel  at  her  ease.  She  was  just  a  young  girl  and  might  well 
feel  lonesome  set  down  in  a  place  like  Brayton,  an  utter 
stranger. 

"Have  you  come  far  on  the  cars  to-day  ?"  he  asked  at 
last. 

"I  left  Montreal  Sunday  night,"  she  answered;  "and 
it  has  been  rather  a  tiring  trip.  I  never  travelled  more 

16 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     17 

than  a  day  on  the  train  at  one  time  before.  I  have  just 
come  over  from  England  you  see,  and  it  is  all  rather 
strange  over  here.  Then  I  was  awfully  sea-sick." 

"Bolton  told  me  he  had  hired  a  girl  to  come  and  help 
him  for  a  while  but  he  did  not  say  she  was  coming  all 
the  way  from  England.  I  suppose  he  must  have  known 
you  in  the  old  country  before  he  engaged  you,"  he  spec- 
ulated with  a  polite  air  of  interest. 

"Oh; "  she  began  to  speak  but  stopped  suddenly 

with  a  faint  laugh.  "Yes,  he  has  known  me  a  long  time," 
she  concluded  after  a  slight  hesitation. 

"Well,  I  hope  you  will  like  your  place,"  he  said  in  a 
friendly  if  somewhat  patronising  tone ;  "it  will  be  a  great 
change  from  service  at  home  you  will  find.  Ranch  life 
in  British  Columbia  is  not  an  easy  one  either  for  the  men 
or  the  women.  However,  of  course,  the  pay  is  better  out 
here." 

She  made  no  answer  to  this.  Her  accent  was  rather 
pleasing,  Keith  reflected;  though  he  was  aware  that  this 
was  not  an  uncommon  thing  in  the  better  class  of  English 
servant.  It  was  so  different  from  that  of  the  women  around 
the  country-side  or  from  that  of  his  own  house-keeper  that 
the  contrast  gave  him  a  curious  sensation  of  pleasure. 

"I  hope  the  Boltons  will  be  at  home,"  she  said  anxiously. 
"It  would  be  a  sad  mishap  if  we  found  them  away." 

"You  won't  be  able  to  go  there  to-night,  you  know,"1 
said  Keith.  "I  thought  you  understood  that  from  Jim. 
Bolton's  place  is  quite  near  mine  as  the  crow  flies,  but  you 
could  not  go  over  there  to-night.  There  is  only  a  trail 
through  across  the  creek  above  the  falls  and  it  would  be 
rather  treacherous  to  follow  in  the  dark." 

"Why  I  thought  you  were  taking  me  there,"  she  said 
with  a  note  of  dismay.  "You  don't  mean  that  I  have  to- 
stay  the  night  at  your  house?" 


1 8    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Yes;  what  I  arranged  was  to  take  you  to  my  place/5 
Keith  replied  somewhat  surprised.  "I  have  a  married 
couple  who  'do  for  me'  in  the  language  of  the  country  an  . 
they  will  put  you  up  for  the  night  and  make  you  quite 
comfortable.  You  can  easily  walk  through  to  Bolton's 
'across  the  creek  in  the  morning  after  breakfast.  It  is 
about  four  miles  by  road  from  my  place  to  Bolton's  al- 
though there  is  only  the  creek  between  them,  but  you  see 
the  roads  are  few  and  often  rather  primitive  in  this 
country.  The  road  he  takes  to  the  station  is  quite  a  differ- 
ent one  from  mine,"  he  explained,  hoping  to  make  her 
view  the  matter  reasonably. 

"Well,  the  man  at  the  store  did  not  explain  to  me  or 
I  should  rather  have  stayed  where  I  was,"  she  complained, 
a  note  of  distress  in  her  voice.  "Oh,  surely,  you  could 
take  me  there  to-night,"  she  pleaded.  "It  would  not  take 
you  so  very  long  and  I  would  be  willing  to  pay  you  well 
for  your  time.  You  don't  know  how  anxious  I  arn  to  get 
to  my  journey's  end  and  to  be  with  people  I  know." 

Keith  flicked  the  off  horse  impatiently  with  his  whip. 
A  few  big  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall. 

"But,  my  dear  girl,"  he  said,  indulgently,  but  with  no 
note  of  yielding  in  his  voice;  "it  is  very  easy  to  talk 
about  it;  but  you  do  not  know  what  Bolton's  road  is  like 
just  now.  I  am  sorry  but  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  oblige 

you." 

:  The  twilight  had  passed  and  the  road  wound  up  and 
down  mostly  between  high  banks  overgrown  with  small 
trees  and  brush  with  an  occasional  stump  or  dead  trunk, 
the  outline  of  which  stood  out  drearily  against  the  dull 
but  luminous  sky.  The  horses  plodded  steadily  along. 
Each  foot  as  it  was  lifted  out  of  the  thick  clay  mud  made 
a  loud  pop  and  the  springs  of  the  wagon  groaned  at  times 
tcomplainingly. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     19 

The  girl  sat  silent  for  a  few  moments.  When  she  spoke 
again  her  voice  had  a  new  note  and  there  was  no  mistaking 
the  tone  of  it. 

"Then  if  you  will  not  take  me  to  Bolton's,"  she  said, 
"would  you  mind  taking  me  back  to  the  store  ?  I  do  not 
wish  to  go  to  your  place." 

Keith  pondered  for  a  moment  before  speaking.  He 
could  see  that  she  was  suspicious  of  him,  that  she  doubted 
his  good  faith;  and  he  resented  it.  Secure  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  own  righteous  intentions,  he  was  not  going  to 
be  ordered  about  by  a  servant  girl  whom  at  some  inconveni- 
ence he  was  trying  to  oblige.  He  had  had  some  unpleas- 
ant experiences  with  hired  girls  in  his  early  days  at  the 
ranch,  so  that  he  was  rather  prejudiced;  and  this  one, 
even  if  she  was  just  from  England  seemed  to  be  about 
as  unreasonable  as  any  of  them.  He  was  hungry,  more- 
over, and  a  hungry  man  is  apt  to  be  impatient. 

"I  am  sorry,"  he  said  coldly;  "but  my  dinner  is  waiting 
at  the  house.  I  cannot  very  well  take  you  back  to  Jim 
after  agreeing  to  take  you  off  his  hands ;  and  I  don't  want 
to  drive  up  to  Bolton's  in  the  dark  without  a  lantern  at 
least.  However,  we  will  go  home  now;  and  if  you  insist, 
after  you  have  had  something  to  eat,  I  will  take  a  lantern 
and  either  drive  you  to  Bolton's  myself  or  send  my  man 
with  you.  I  hope  that  will  suit  you." 

"You  are  very  good  I  am  sure;  but  I  would  prefer  to 
go  back  to  the  store.  If  you  will  let  me  out  I  will  walk 
back." 

"What  are  you  afraid  of  ?"  said  Keith  angrily.  "I  am 
no  ogre  kidnapping  young  women,  I  can  assure  you ;  and  I 
certainly  can't  let  you  out  here  in  the  dark  to  find  your 
way  back  to  the  store.  A  nice  mess  you  would  be  in 
walking  through  this  mud.  No,  if  you  must  have  your 
way  of  it,  we'll  make  a  try  for  Bolton's.  I  am  afraid 


20    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

it  is  going  to  rain  though.  We  are  just  at  the  place  where 
the  two  roads  fork.  You  had  better  hold  on  tight." 

They  had  come  to  the  end  of  the  open  country  and  as 
they  entered  the  woods,  Keith  pulled  the  horses  sharply 
round  to  the  right  and  they  soon  began  to  descend  rapidly. 
The  road-bed  was  now  a  mere  grade  cut  out  of  the  side- 
hill,  and  was  barely  wider  than  the  tread  of  the  wagon; 
and  they  had  to  hug  the  bank  closely  to  keep  from  going 
over.  The  horses  moved  slowly,  hanging  back  on  their 
collars  and  placing  their  feet  very  cautiously.  They  were 
none  too  pleased  at  having  their  noses  turned  away  from 
home  again.  It  was  almost  pitch-dark  and  Keith  had  to 
rely  on  his  remembrance  of  the  road  and  the  feel  of  thp 
lines  on  his  horses'  mouths  to  guide  him  in  following  its 
windings.  The  wagon  wheels  ground  jarringly  as  they 
skidded  on  the  grade  and  far  below  they  could  hear  the 
swollen  creek  rushing  along  through  the  canyon.  The  rain 
was  now  coming  down  heavily  and  although  the  canopy 
of  leaves  above  them  helped  to  shield  them  from  it,  enough 
was  coming  through  to  wet  them  considerably.  The  road 
continued  on  the  descent  for  about  a  mile  and  then  it 
began  to  ascend  again.  The  mud  instead  of  shallow  and 
stony  was  now  of  a  deep  clay  and  the  horses  slipped  and 
stumbled  repeatedly,  which  was  the  more  alarming  on 
account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  road  and  the  depth 
of  the  declivity  along  the  verge  of  which  it  ran. 

Keith  had  his  hands  full  with  the  horses  and  encouraged 
them  both  with  whip  and  voice  as  they  toiled  with  difficulty 
up  the  hill  through  the  thick  mud ;  and  the  girl  sat  silent, 
holding  on  to  the  seat  as  the  wagon  swayed  and  jolted. 
They  had  not  gone  far  up  the  hill  when  at  a  sharp  curve 
in  the  road  where  the  bank  on  the  inside  towered  high 
above  it,  the  front  wheel  on  the  outside  suddenly  seemed 
to  drop  down  and  the  girl  would  have  fallen  out  had  she 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    21 

not  caught  Keith  by  the  arm.  She  clung  to  him  a  moment 
while  the  wagon  seemed  to  hang  on  the  edge  of  space. 
Keith  had  quickly  pulled  the  horses  back  or  the  whole 
would  have  gone  over;  and,  as  it  was,  the  team  respond- 
ing too  vigorously  to  his  sudden  pull,  nearly  backed  the 
rear  wheels  over  the  grade.  With  a  cut  of  the  whip  he 
managed,  however,  to  force  them  to  stand  their  ground, 
trembling  against  the  bank. 

"There's  something  wrong,"  he  said,  "with  the  road 
ahead ;  I  shall  have  to  jump  down  and  see  what  it  is.  You 
had  better  get  out  first  though,  as  I'nl  afraid  to  leave  you 
in  the  wagon.  I  wish  we  had  a  light  to  see  what  is  ahead  of 
us.  Better  get  off  on  the  inside ;"  and,  standing  up  in  the 
wagon,  he  let  her  pass  in  front  of  him  and  clamber  down 
over  the  wheel.  Then  ho  got  down  himself  and  went  round 
in  front  of  the  horses  to  examine  the  road.  Feeling  his 
way  along,  he  soon  found  that  the  heavy  rain  had  washed 
away  a  part  of  it  and  it  was  impossible  to  proceed. 

"I'm  afraid  we  shall  have  to  turn  back  after  all,"  he 
said  to  the  girl  who  stood,  a  forlorn  shape,  beside  the 
wagon.  "I'm  sorry  you  got  such  a  fright  though ;  and  you 
must  be  getting  wet  in  this  beastly  rain.  You'd  better 
put  this  overcoat  on,"  and  he  took  it  off  and  bundled  her 
into  it,  disregarding  her  objections.  His  annoyance  with 
her,  strange  to  say,  seemed  to  have  passed  away  in  the 
excitement  and  his  tone  was  kindly.  "Do  you  think  you 
could  hold  the  team  while  I  run  the  wagon  down  to  the 
foot  of  the  hill  ?  I  daren't  try  to  back  them  down  the 
grade." 

"I  think  I  can,"  she  answered  meekly. 

"Good ;  just  wait  till  I  unhitch  them." 

As  quickly  as  the  restlessness  of  the  horses  would  permit, 
he  got  them  loose ;  and  she  held  them  by  the  bridles  while, 
with  considerable  difficulty  and  some  narrow  escapes  from 


22    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

disaster,  he  got  the  wagon  down  where  there  was  room  to 
turn  it  round. 

The  rain  was  still  pouring  but  he  soon  got  the  horses 
harnessed  again  in  spite  of  their  restlessness. 

"I'm  afraid  the  fates  have  decreed  that  you  must  stay 
at  my  house  to-night  after  all,  Miss  Coon,"  Keith  said,  as 
he  almost  lifted  her  in  out  of  the  muddy  road;  and  that 
was  all  that  was  spoken  until  about  half  an  hour  later  when 
he  pulled  up  at  the  ranch.  From  one  of  the  front  windows 
a  cheery  light  beamed  out  and  from  around  the  side,  a 
man  appeared  carrying  a  stable  lantern. 

Keith  jumped  out  and  helped  his  passenger  down. 

"I  was  kept  a  bit  late,  Alec,"  he  said.  "This  is  Miss 
Coon  who  is  going  over  to  Bolton's  in  the  morning.  She 
will  stay  with  us  to-night." 

The  man  took  the  horses  and  Keith  ushered  the  girl  into 
the  house,  the  back  of  which  looked  to  the  road,  by  the 
rear  door.  The  passageway  was  dark;  but  he  struck  a 
match  and  by  its  light  he  led  her  through  a  narrow  hallway 
to  the  kitchen  where  a  stout,  red-cheeked  woman  was  busy 
over  a  range.  An  appetising  odour  of  fried  onions  came 
wafting  out. 


CHAPTER  in 

'At  last  I  hare  a  Sabine  farm 

Abloom  with  shrubs  and  flowers; 
'And  garlands  gay  I  weave  by  day 

Amid  those  fragrant  bowers; 
And  yet,  0  fortune  hideous 

I  have  no  blooming  Lydias; 
And  what,  ah,  what's  a  Sabine  farm 
to  us  without  its  Lydias?. 

EUGENE  FIELD. 

"THIS  is  Miss  Coon,  Mrs.  Dalrymple,"  said  Keith,  when 
they  had  entered,  "who  is  going  to  work  at  Mr.  Bolton's. 
I  brought  her  up  as  there  was  nobody  at  Brayton  to  meet 
her;  and  I  want  you  to  give  her  some  supper  and  make 
her  comfortable  for  the  night.  I  see  you  have  not  had 
your  own  yet,  so  that  will  be  all  right." 

Mrs.  Dalrymple  had  gasped  with  astonishment  but  she 
hastened  to  cover  it  by  offering  a  chair  to  the  visitor. 

"Come  in  to  the  fire  and  dry  yourself,  Miss,"  she  said, 
as  she  helped  her  to  take  off  Keith's  big  overcoat,  which 
was  dripping  wet,  and  her  own  coat.  "My,  but  you  are 
wet!" 

The  girl  made  an  attractive  picture  with  the  drops  of 
water  still  hanging  on  her  cheeks  and  in  her  hair  which 
the  wind  had  blown  about  her  temples  in  wavy  curls.  A 
rich  flood  of  colour  suffused  her  features,  the  delicacy 
of  which  harmonised  with  her  slight  and  graceful  figure ; 
and  a  pair  of  big,  blue  eyes  glanced  with  a  certain  anxious 
scrutiny  at  Mrs.  Dalrymple  before  seating  herself.  How- 

23 


24    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

ever,  she  was  plainly  reassured  by  the  woman's  kindly  air 
and  motherly  appearance  and  her  expression  of  timidity 
and  a  certain  tenseness  in  her  bearing  quickly  disappeared. 
Keith  stood  a  moment  watching  her,  as  she  sat  in  front  of 
the  stove,  somewhat  at  a  loss  just  how  to  take  his  leave. 

"You  will  be  all  right  now  I  hope,"  he  said;  "and 
I  am  sure  Mrs.  Dalrymple  will  look  after  you.  In  the 
morning,  Alec  will  take  you  over  to  Bolton's.  I  hope  you 
will  be  none  the  worse  for  your  wetting." 

"Oh,  I'm  sure  I  won't,  thanks  to  your  overcoat,"  she 
said  glancing  up  with  a  smile.  "I  must  thank  you  for 
all  the  trouble  you  have  taken.  I  hope  you  forgive  me  for 
insisting  on  you  taking  me  up  there  to-night.  I'm  sure 
you  must  have  thought  me  very  forward ;  but  I  have  never 
been  alone  in  this  way  before  and  this  country  seemed  so 
strange  and  desolate  to  me,"  she  apologised,  blushing  up 
to  the  tips  of  her  ears. 

"Oh,  don't  worry  about  that,"  Keith  replied  good- 
naturedly.  "Well,  good-night;"  and  he  backed  himself 
out  of  the  door  rather  vexed  at  the  embarrassment  which 
he  had  been  unable  to  conquer.  He  passed  into  the  hall 
and  hung  up  his  hat  before  entering  the  dining-room  where 
the  table  was  set  for  dinner.  It  was  a  cheerful  room  with 
a  large  fireplace  in  which  a  bright  log-fire  was  burning.  A 
large  sable-coloured  collie  arose  from  before  it  and  jumped 
upon  him  with  frantic  expressions  of  welcome  to  which 
he  responded  somewhat  absent-mindedly.  Then  Mrs. 
Dalrymple  entered  with  his  dinner  and  he  sat  down  at  the 
table,  still  in  a  brown  study. 

"Well,  if  this  isn't  a  rum  business,"  he  thought  to  him- 
self as  he  helped  himself  to  a  goodly  portion  of  beef-steak 
pie.  "It  just  shows  how  rusty  one  gets,  living  alone  in 
the  wilds  here  without  any  society.  It's  a  strange  thing 
that  I  should  feel  as  bashful  as  a  boy  of  twenty  in  talking 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    25 

to  a  servant  girl.  Strange  that  the  mere  question  of  sex 
should  make  such  a  difference.  I  suppose  it's  because  I 
haven't  spoken  to  a  young  woman  alone  scarcely  since 
I  came  out  here." 

"She's  a  persistent  little  thing  though  for  all  her  air 
of  friendlessness,"  his  reflections  ran  on.  "There  was 
something  about  the  way  she  insisted  on  me  taking  her  to 
Bolton's  that  made  it  impossible  to  refuse  without  feeling 
that  one  had  been  churlish  or  a  brute.  She  had  rather  a 
cheek  to  ask  it  all  the  same.  One  would  have  thought  it 
was  enough  for  me  to  bring  her  up  here  without  driving 
an  extra  six  miles  on  roads  such  as  Bolton's.  But  that's 
the  way  with  these  servant  girls,  they  tell  me.  Once  they 
touch  Canadian  soil,  they  forget  their  class  altogether  and 
think  they  are  as  good  as  anybody  else.  The  first  thing 
you  know  they  expect  to  dine  with  the  family." 

"Come  to  think  of  it  that  young  woman's  manner  was 
more  assured  than  my  own  and  the  way  she  smiled  when 
I  was  telling  Mrs.  Dalrymple  about  her  had  a  suggestion 
of  derision  that  I  didn't  altogether  like.  It  was  one  of 
these  inscrutable  Mona  Lisa-like  smiles  that  women  affect 
when  they're  thinking  how  much  they  despise  you.  Seems 
to  be  a  sort  of  failing  to  the  whole  sex,  whether  gentle 
or  simple.  Cats  have  the  same  thing.  You  can  never  be 
sure  what  they  are  thinking  of  you.  That's  why  I  like  a 
dog.  Caesar,  old  boy,"  he  continued  aloud  to  the  collie 
on  the  hearth-rug;  "there's  nothing  secret  about  your 
thoughts.  Never  any  question  of  contemptuous  tolerance 
with  you.  You  either  love  us  with  your  whole  hearts  or 
you  hate  us  consumedly:  Hang  the  women,  anyhow!  J 
was  finished  with  them  three  years  ago.  They  bring  trouble 
wherever  they  go,  don't  they,  Caesar,  old  boy  ?" 

The  dog  wagged  his  tail  vigorously  upon  the  floor  and 


26    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

then  getting  up,  he  laid  his  head  upon  his  master's  knee 
and  looked  up  into  his  eyes. 

For  all  Keith's  indifference  to  the  sex,  he  somehow 
could  not  get  his  thoughts  off  the  girl  who  was  sitting  at 
supper  with  his  servants  at  the  other  end  of  the  house; 
and  he  was  conscious  of  a  certain  feeling  of  elation,  a 
certain  faint  stimulus  of  pleasure  which  he  could  only 
ascrihe  to  his  meeting  with  her.  The  touch  of  her  arms 
upon  his  shoulder  when  he  had  lifted  her  out  of  the 
wagon  lingered  in  his  memory  with  a  pleasing  persistence. 

"It's  all  on  account  of  this  living  like  a  hermit  in  the 
woods,"  he  said  to  himself  angrily  at  last;  "I'll  be  going 
dotty  the  first  thing  I  know." 

He  rang  the  bell  and  Mrs.  Dalrymple  appeared  with  a 
tray  and  began  to  clear  away  the  things. 

"How  is  your  visitor  now,  Mrs.  Dalrymple  ?" 

"Oh,  she  didna  eat  much  supper,  sir.  I'm  thinkin'  she 
was  gey  tired,  the  puir  thing ;  but  I'm  making  up  her  bed 
now  and  she'll  be  a'  right  in  the  morning,  sir." 

"I  doubt  she's  pretty  slim  for  such  work  as  she  will 
have  to  do  in  service  out  here  on  a  farm." 

"That  she  be,  sir ;  but  you  can  never  tell ;  sometimes  they 
slim  ones  is  the  most  active.  They  dinna  hae  as  much 
weight  to  carry  around  as  the  likes  of  me,  you  see,  sir. 
However,  she  hasna  her  sorrows  to  seek,  staying  in  one  o' 
them  bush  ranches.  It's  a  lonesome  life  for  a  lass  that's 
been  in  service  till  a  big  house  in  the  old  country." 

"Was  she  a  servant  in  a  big  house  ?" 

"So  I  understand,  sir.  She  says  the  house  she  was 
in,  they  keepit  twenty  servants." 

"She'll  find  it  dull  here  then,  I  fear,"  said  Keith  as  he 
lighted  his  cigar  and  took  up  his  newspaper;  and  Mrs. 
Dalrymple  departed  with  her  tray. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Good-night — here's  the  end  of  my  paper; 

Good-night, — if  the  longitude  please, — 
For  may  ~be,  while  wasting  my  taper, 

Your  sun's  climbing  oner  the  trees. 

BRET  HABTE. 

POBTLAKE,  B.  C., 

10  April,  19 — 
MY  DEAE  DOTY: — 

I  have  been  suffering  from  a  bit  of  the  blues  and  the 
only  remedy  I  could  think  of  that  was  likely  to  drive 
them  away  was  to  sit  down  at  six  thousand  miles  distance 
• — my,  but  it  looks  like  a  long  way  written  out  like  that — 
and  have  a  real  old-time  chat  with  you.  If  I  could  only 
have  one  of  the  old-style  bear  hugs  that  you  used  to  prac- 
tise on  me  and  then  loll  with  you  for  half  an  hour  on  the 
hearthrug  before  the  fire  as  we  used  to — but  there  I 
mustn't  think  about  that  or  I  shall  be  blue  in  earnest. 

First  of  all,  to  clear  away  all  those  dire  forebodings  and 
prognostications  with  which  you  tried  to  cheer  me  on 
parting — for  you  did  become  very,  very  proper  all  at 
once  for  such  a  harum-scarum,  fly-away,  ready-for-any- 
thing  person  as  you  usually  are — I  must  tell  you  that  I 
arrived  safely  at  my  destination.  ~No  wily  'bunco-steerer' 
tried  to  cozen  me  out  of  my  money  and  no  dashing  adven- 
turer tried  to  marry  me  against  my  will ;  for  all  the  people 
I  met  were  most  ordinary  and  respectable.  Only  on  my 
arrival  at  Brayton  did  it  seem  for  a  little  as  if  there  might 

27 


28    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

be  a  chance  for  some  of  the  unpleasantnesses  that  you 
predicted  coming  true. 

The  train  arrived  just  about  dusk.  I  had  telegraphed 
Bolton  to  be  meeting  me  but,  lo  and  behold !  there  was  no 
sign  of  him ;  and  there  was  nobody  at  the  station — if  you 
can  call  a  mere  shed  and  some  planking  a  station — but  an 
ancient  pioneer  who  turned  out  to  be  the  postmaster  and 
storekeeper,  a  young  rancher  in  overalls  and  a  yellow  dog. 

There  you  have  the  stage  setting ;  and  you  can  imagine 
me,  poor  little  me — and  growing  littler  every  minute  to 
judge  by  my  feelings — dumped  down  with  my  trunk  by  the 
side  of  the  track  at  nightfall  in  the  wilds  of  B.  C.  No 
hotel,  no  conveyance  for  hire  that  could  be  got  to  take  me 
to  my  destination — which,  by  the  way,  was  four  miles 
away — in  short,  no  nothing ! 

However,  the  old  storekeeper  took  pity  on  me  and  pre- 
vailed upon  the  rancher  to  take  me  up  in  his  wagon — very 
cross  and  sour  the  latter  looked  about  it  and  he  didn't  take 
many  pains  to  hide  his  feelings. 

As  to  what  happened  on  the  drive  up,  Doty,  I  shall  say 
as  "Peck's  Bad  Boy"  always  did  in  the  story  whenever  the 
chapter  ended  in  his  getting  a  licking,  "let  us  draw  a  veil 
over  the  painful  scene  that  followed."  In  a  way,  it  was 
quite  an  adventure.  At  one  time,  I  must  confess  to  think- 
ing very  seriously  of  all  your  doleful  warnings  and  prophe- 
sies; but  what  seemed  to  have  threatenings  of  tragedy 
turned  out  in  the  end  to  be  mere  comedy  with,  however, 
certain  elements  of  farce  intermingled.  Some  day,  I  shall 
probably  tell  you  all  about  it  but  not  now.  The  affair  is 
still  too  recent  and  painful.  As  a  sop  to  your  curiosity 
though,  Doty,  I  shall  only  confess  that  I  ate  enough  humble 
pie  on  this  occasion  to  have  given  an  ordinary  person  in- 
digestion. Luckily  my  sense  of  humour  helped  me  to  pull 
through  without  serious  consequences. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    29 

I  found  dear,  old  ISFursie  so  glad  to  see  me.  The  poor 
soul  has  been  very  ill  with  pneumonia  and  Bolton  with 
the  help  of  Dicky  had  nursed  her  through  the  worst  of 
it;  but  the  doctor  had  told  them  that  she  must  have  a 
woman  to  give  her  proper  attention  as  there  was  danger 
she  would  not  pull  through.  Well,  she  had  just  arrived 
the  day  before,  having  come  by  the  other  station;  but 
when  she  saw  the  loneliness  of  the  place,  she  said  she 
would  not  stay  on  any  account  and  had  gone  right  away 
without  taking  her  trunk  out  of  the  wagon. 

You  can  imagine  the  state  they  were  all  in  when  I 
arrived.  Mrs.  Bolton  was  terribly  worried  about  me  too, 
end  my  poor  reception — it  seemed  they  had  never  got  my 
telegram — but  I  soon  relieved  her  anxiety  and  told  her  I 
would  do  the  work  that  the  maid  should  have  done;  and 
I  made  her  laugh  by  telling  her  how  I  had  been  taken  for 
the  maid  already. 

She  had  not  been  able  to  make  out  at  all  the  meaning 
of  my  letter  from  London  and  the  reason  for  my  coming ; 
but  now  she  knows,  and  she  says  that  I  did  quite  right  to 
run  away.  So  there  is  one  person  that  does  not  disapprove, 
you  see.  It  was  all  right  for  you  to  counsel  patience; 
but  you  don't  know  what  it  is  to  live  with  Aunt  Sophronia. 
She  was  bound  to  marry  me  to  Wilfrid;  and  if  I  had 
stayed  she  would  certainly  have  had  her  way.  Anyway 
she  would  have  contrived  to  make  life  unbearable  for  me,  so 
I  thought  that  this  was  the  best  way  out.  I  shall  be 
twenty-one  this  summer  and  my  own  mistress  and,  by  that 
time,  the  storm  may  have  subsided  somewhat;  at  least  J! 
hope  so.  It  was  rather  rough  on  poor  Wilfrid  for  me  to 
run  off  as  I  did  with  the  wedding  announced  as  it  was,  but 
it  wasn't  my  fault.  I  don't  think  he  will  bear  any  malice 
over  it  either  for  he  knows  that  his  mother  is  to  blame 
for  the  whole  thing. 


30    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

You  must  guard  my  secret,  though,  because  they  must 
not  find  out  where  I  have  gone.  I  have  arranged  with  the 
Boltons  that  they  are  not  to  disabuse  people  of  the  idea 
that  I  am  the  "hired  help"  as  they  call  it  in  this  country. 
I  am  also  known  by  the  name  of  Miss  Coon,  which  you  can 
bear  in  mind  when  you  are  addressing  my  letters.  This 
is  the  way  the  old  storekeeper  understood  my  name;  and 
I  have  thought  it  safest  to  keep  it  that  way.  It's  a  small 
world  after  all  and  Colquhoun  is  an  uncommon  name.  I 
can't  say  I  enjoy  "Coon" — I  can  hear  you  giggle  at  this 
distance — but  for  a  few  months,  it  doesn't  matter.  The 
family  all  call  me  Marjorie,  however.  Bolton  is  very 
quiet — almost  morose ;  but  he  is  very  kind  to  me.  Their 
one  boy,  Dick,  is  a  bright  little  chap  of  twelve  and  he, 
more  than  any  one  else,  helps  me  to  keep  cheery.  He 
thinks  the  world  of  me  and  we  are  great  chums. 

The  Boltons  do  not  make  a  living  out  of  their  place  as 
yet  and  they  are  very  poor.  He  does  work  outside  the 
ranch  to  keep  things  going  and  altogether  they  have  a 
pretty  hard  row  to  hoe.  I  hope  before  long  though,  I 
shall  be  able  to  help  them. 

What  a  long  screed  I  have  written  you  all  about  myself ; 
but  I  know  that  you  are  not  the  least  bit  bored.  Tell  me 
all  the  news  of  Holmwood  for  I'm  hungering  for  "the  soun' 
o'  a  kent  voice  an'  the  sicht  o'  a  kent  face."  If  you  were 
only  out  here  with  me  and  we  could  "roam  the  woods  to- 
gether," I  would  be  quite  happy,  I  think.  Don't  forget 
to  tell  me  all  you  know  as  to  the  household  at  the  Hall 
and  how  they  took  my  unceremonious  running  off.  Really, 
Doty,  it  was  an  awful  thing  to  do,  wasn't  it?  and  the 
shivers  run  up  and  down  my  back  when  I  think  of  it. 
But  there,  I  don't  care;  the  marriage  would  have  been 
worse,  now  wouldn't  it  ? 

I  must  close  now  for  I  have  a  lot  of  work  to  do.    Re- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     31 

member  you  are  the  only  link — a  golden  one  it's  true — 
between  me  and  the  old  land  at  present,  so  you  must  write 
me  long  and  often. 

Yours  as  ever, 

Marjorie  "Coon." 
To  Miss  Dorothea  Trelawny, 
Holmwood  Manor, 
Bybridge, 

Cornwall,  England. 


CHAPTEK  V 

The  Age  of  Chivalry  is  gone. 


EDMUND  BUSKE. 


'Ay, — where  are  those  heroic  knights 
Of  old — those  armadillo  wights 

Who  wore  the  plated  vest — 
Great  Charlemagne,  and  all  his  peers 
Are  cold — enjoying  with  their  spears 

An  everlasting  rest! 

T.  HOOD. 


KEITH  heard  nothing  more  of  his  passenger  until  two 
days  after.  He  was  out  by  the  barn  cutting  out  the  frame 
for  a  harrow  when  young  Dick  Bolton  came  whistling 
down  the  road  and  sauntered  over  as  he  often  did  on  hif» 
way  to  school.  He  and  Keith  were  great  friends  as  they 
found  that  there  was  much  in  common  between  them. 
Dick  had  a  great  admiration  for  the  Englishman  who  had 
ridden  to  hounds  and  who  could  tell  wonderful  stories  of 
boat  races  and  hard-won  cricket  matches,  opening  up  bright 
visions  of  an  untried  world  to  his  young  imagination. 
Keith,  on  his  side,  found  a  real  pleasure  in  the  freshness 
and  naivete  of  the  boy's  chat. 

"Hello,  Mr.  Leicester." 

"Hello,  Dick;  off  to  school  again?" 

"No,  I'm  not  to  go  to-day.  Mother's  sick  and  I've  to 
stay  at  home  and  chop  wood  and  look  after  things.  Father's 
workin'  on  the  roads.  What's  that  you're  makin'  ?  a 

32 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    33 

harrow?"  asked  Dick,  following  Keith's  actions  with  a 
curious  eye. 

"You've  guessed  it." 

"I  thought  you  had  one  already." 

"So  I  have  but  it's  too  small.  Doesn't  cover  the  land 
fast  enough." 

"Are  you  going  to  plow  all  that  land  you  cleared  last 
year?" 

"Yes,  and  then  I'll  seed  it  to  clover  and  timothy.  There's 
ten  acres  in  that  piece." 

"Gee!  you've  got  a  fine  place  now,  haven't  you?"  said 
Dick,  his  eyes  shining.  "Must  have  thirty  or  forty  acres 
cleared  now  ?" 

"Forty-five  all  told,  Dicky;  about  twenty  of  that  in 
orchard,  so  when  that  comes  into  full  bearing,  I  shall  have 
my  hands  full." 

"Will  you  let  me  pick  apples  for  you  then  ?"  Dick  asked 
with  an  eager  sparkle  in  his  eyes. 

"I  would  have  to  make  you  whistle  all  the  time  if  I 
did,"  said  Keith,  glancing  up  with  a  smile. 

Dick  looked  puzzled  and  his  face  became  serious. 

"What  for  ?"  he  asked  and  then  he  grinned.  "Oh  I  see," 
he  said,  "so's  I  couldn't  eat  too  many.  Why  do  you  make 
holes  through  the  wood  both  ways?"  he  asked  as  Keith 
began  boring  with  his  auger  at  right  angles  to  the  holes 
he  had  already  bored.  "You're  making  a  smaller  hole  too." 

"This  lot  of  holes  is  for  the  bolts  that  are  to  keep  the 
wood  from  splitting." 

"I  see,"  Dick  nodded.  "Please  may  I  use  your  grind- 
stone to  sharpen  my  axe  ?" 

"Oh  all  right;  but  see  you  run  plenty  of  water  on  it. 
Thought  your  mother  had  some  one  to  help  her  now.  Miss 
Coon,  is  it,  her  name  is  ?" 

"So  she  has  but  we  call  her  Marjorie.     She  said  she 


34    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

didn't  like  us  to  call  her  Miss  Coon.  'Coon'  means  'nigger' 
you  know;  mebbe  that  was  why,"  he  suggested  with  a 
grin.  "She's  no  nigger,  you  can  just  bet.  I  think  she's 
right  pretty  an'  I  like  her.  Say !"  he  added  as  the  thought 
struck  him,  "you  drove  her  up,  didn't  you  ?  Oh,  she  told 
ine  all  about  it." 

"Oh,  she  did,  did  she  ?"  Keith  replied  without  enthusi- 
asm as  he  carefully  measured  off  the  intervals  for  the 
teeth  of  his  harrow;  "was  it  a  moving  chronicle  of  field 
and  flood  ?" 

"I  dunno.  She  just  said  that  the  wagon  came  near 
tipping  over  the  bank.  She  said  that  she  wouldn't  have 
asked  you  to  drive  'er  up  if  she  had  known  what  kind  of  a 
road  it  was." 

"Was  that  all?" 

Dick  scraped  with  one  foot  on  the  ground  in  a  way  he 
had  when  embarrassed. 

"Er about  all  I  reckon,"  he  said  after  a  brief  pause. 

Then  blushing,  "she  did  say  as  how  she  thought  you  might 
have  walked  with  her  across  the  creek  .after  supper  when 
the  rain  had  stopped  when  you  knew  how  much  she  wanted 
to  get  to  our  place  that  night.  Say,  who  was  Shivalree  ? 
She  said  he  was  dead  anyway  and  she  seemed  to  be  right 
sorry  about  it.  I  thought  I'd  ask  you  as  you'd  be  sure  to 
know." 

It  was  Keith's  turn  to  blush  as  he  felt  the  boy's  clear 
eyes  fixed  on  his  face.  So  the  young  woman  had  pre- 
sumed to  question  his  conduct  after  the  trouble  that  he 
had  taken  with  her. 

"Chivalry,  my  son,  if  you  want  it  personified,"  he  said, 
speedily  recovering  his  equanimity,  "was  a  splendid  chap 
ifchat  lived  hundreds  of  years  ago  who  went  about  helping 
the  weak  and  more  especially,  maidens  in  distress.  It 
didn't  matter  how  humble  their  rank  was,  Chivalry  was 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    35 

always  ready  to  fight  for  them  or  help  them  in  any  way 
he  could.  He  usually  rode  a  splendid  warhorse  in  full 
armour  and  carried  a  lance  and  a  sword.  At  first,  they 
were  always  grateful  for  what  he  did  and  that  was  all 
the  reward  that  he  wanted.  By  and  bye,  however,  they 
oegan  to  presume  upon  their  sex — that  is,  to  take  advantage 
jf  the  fact  of  their  being  women — and  poor  old  Chivalry 
died.  It  was  too  much  for  the  old  chap  and  broke  his 
heart.  Dick,"  and  Keith's  tones  were  impressively  solemn,- 
"I'm  afraid  that  if  Chivalry  had  been  alive  now  he  would 
have  been  afraid  to  go  near  a  woman." 

"But  they  ain't  all  suffragettes,  are  they?"  said  Dick 
rather  scandalised  by  this  sweeping  indictment  of  the  sex. 
"Some  of  the  policemen  did  have  a  time  with  them,  didn't 
they,  wot  with  their  scratching  and  their  red  pepper  ?  Most 
of  them  had  a  hammer  in  their  handbags  too,  and  they 
didn't  do  a  thing  to  them  store  windows  in  London.  Gee ! 
they  would  stick  a  hatpin  into  a  man  just  as  quick  as 
lightnin'  and  he  wouldn't  know  what  had  struck  him.  But 
there  ain't  any  of  that  kind  round  here  that  I  knows  on, 
'cept  old  lady  Ribycil;  and  she  takes  after  the  old  man 
with  a  big  stick  sometimes.  He  won't  work  a  stroke  tho' 
an'  I  guess  he  needs  it  all  right." 

"No,  you're  right  enough,  they're  not  all  bad,  my 
boy,"  he  answered.  He  had  no  business  to  poison  the 
boy's  mind  with  such  cynical  remarks,  he  reflected.  After 
all,  it  was  a  dangerous  habit  to  generalise  from  a  limited 
experience  and  his  own  had  been  such.  Once  was  enough, 
he  told  himself  with  a  touch  of  bitterness,  thinking  of  hia 
only  serious  love  affair  and  how  it  had  turned  out. 

"My,  though,  but  she  knows  lots  of  songs,"  said  Dick: 
with  enthusiasm,  "I  just  wish  I  could  sing  like  she  can. 
She  does  sing  awful  funny  sometimes  though.  But  she 
don't  know  nothing  about  cookin'.  I  know  a  lot  more'n 


36    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

she  does  and  I'm  showing  her  how.  She  says  she'll  soon 
learn.  Guess  I'll  better  get  busy  though  and  get  back;" 
and,  shouldering  his  axe,  with  a  nod,  Dick  was  off  to  the 
grindstone. 

Keith  went  on  piecing  out  his  harrow  and  boring  the 
holes  for  the  teeth;  but  the  tenor  of  his  thoughts  was 
troubled.  Who  was  this  jade  of  a  servant-girl  that  she 
should  presume  to  sit  in  judgment  on  him?  Hadn't  he 
done  enough  for  her  when  he  gave  her  free  board  and 
lodging  for  the  night  not  to  speak  of  hauling  her  and  her 
effects  up  from  the  village?  He  was  angry  at  himself 
for  thinking  of  the  matter  at  all.  He  tried  to  forget  about 
it  but  always  found  his  thoughts  coming  round  to  it 
again. 

"I've  got  a  grievance,"  he  said  to  himself;  "and  I 
can't  resist  the  luxury,  of  indulging  in  it.  Well,  they  say 
it's  a  poor  heart  that  never  rejoices  and  to  be  sure  there's 
little  enough  that  takes  place  here  for  a  fellow  to  think 
about,"  and  he  whistled  a  few  bars  of  "La  Boheme." 

"And  she  sings  'awful  funny,'  does  she.  Well,  I  think 
she'll  have  to  'go  some'  as  Dick  would  say  if  she  sings  any 
funnier  than  some  of  the  choir  sing  down  at  Portlake." 
And  Keith  smiled  delightedly  at  the  reminiscence. 

His  reflections  were  soon  interrupted,  however,  by  the 
arrival  of  two  Swedes  who  owned  adjoining  farms,  who 
had  come  to  interview  him  as  to  certain  work  they  wanted 
done  on  the  road  to  their  places.  Keith  was  a  councillor 
for  the  Municipality  and  the  roadwork  for  the  district  was 
under  his  charge.  It  was  no  light  responsibility  either,, 
for  the  supply  of  funds  was  limited  while  the  farmers  were 
often  unreasonable  in  their  demands  for  improvements. 
There  were  always  heart-burnings  and  bickerings  about 
it  and  the  councillors  had  a  hard  time  trying  to  satisfy 
them  all. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    37 

However,  Keith  had  endeavoured  to  be  fair  in  his  ad- 
ministration and,  so  far,  had  managed  to  please  his  con- 
stituents. It  was  a  full  hour,  however,  before  he  was  able 
to  get  rid  of  his  two  visitors  who,  in  spite  of  their  imper- 
fect English,  talked  with  a  volubility  that  was  astonishing. 
The  best  of  the  morning  was  gone  when,  with  a  sigh,  he 
turned  again  to  his  work. 


CHAPTEK  VI 

You  are  hiding  from  us,  Springtide,  hiding  in  the  slashing, 
Coming  from  the  mountain  I  saw  your  tracks  go  down. 

In  among  the  willow  swamps  I  saw  your  young  feet  splashing, 
Saw  among  the  alder  stems  the  glitter  of  your  gown. 

SIR  CLIVE  PHILLIPS-WOLLEY. 

DICK  was  bursting  with  importance  as  he  drove  the 
buggy  with  the  old  roan  horse  up  before  the  four-room 
log  house  with  its  rough  shake-roofed  verandah,  to  take 
Marjorie  to  Portlake.  The  buggy  had  been  bought  at  an 
auction  for  twenty  dollars  at  a  time  when  the  Boltons 
were  not  as  hard  up  as  they  were  now.  Its  condition 
clearly  suggested  that  it  had  seen  better  days  but  the  re- 
mains of  a  former  grandeur  were  unmistakable.  From  the 
elegant  lines  of  its  phaeton  body  like  the  stern  of  some 
ancient  Spanish  galleon  to  the  silver-mounted  dashboard 
and  sidelamps  and  curving  coupe  shafts,  it  was  clearly  a 
vehicle  of  patrician  origin  that  had  fallen  upon  evil  days. 
For  alas,  the  once  glossy  sides  were  now  caked  with  mud 
and  the  silver  work  all  tarnished  and  one  of  the  lamps 
was  broken  and  both  were  long  past  all  usefulness.  A 
sprung  hind  axle,  moreover,  lent  to  the  rear  wheels  a  sort 
of  irresponsible  roll  reminiscent  of  the  legs  of  some  elderly 
toper  that  seem  to  describe  strange  curves  and  parabolas 
of  their  own  quite  independent  of  one  another  as  well 
as  of  the  owner  they  support. 

But  there  was  certainly  nothing  apologetic  in  the  air 
of  the  young  Jehu  as  he  stood  waiting  for  his  passenger. 

38 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    39 

Phaeton  as  he  jumped  upon  the  chariot  of  the  sun  could 
have  presented  ho  prouder  picture  than  Dick  in  his  khaki- 
coloured  overalls  and  cap,  his  hazel  eyes,  bright  with 
anticipation.  It  was  the  first  time  in  his  twelve  years  of 
existence  that  he  was  to  take  anyone  for  a  drive.  And  the 
young  lady  wearing  a  dark  skirt  with  a  green  sweater 
and  a  woolen  toque  to  match  upon  her  dark  hair,  whc* 
came  out  to  him,  was  one  he  felt  that  any  fellow  might  be 
proud  to  take  under  his  wing.  There  was  a  faint  flash 
of  amusement  in  her  eyes  as  she  looked  down  upon  the 
outfit  but  they  quickly  took  in  the  boy's  eager  pose. 

"And  so  this  is  the  buggy  ?"  she  cried.  "Why  how  fine 
old  Kitchener  looks  in  it.  I'm  sure  he's  quite  proud  of 
drawing  such  a  fine  equipage  after  the  old  wagon.  Isn't 
it  a  lovely  afternoon  for  a  jaunt?  J  feel  just  as  if  I  was 
fifteen  again." 

Kitchener  had  a  pronounced  Roman  nose  and  perhaps 
it  was  this  outstanding  feature  rather  than  his  general 
gaunt  and  scarred  appearance  as  of  a  warrior  of  a  hun- 
dred stricken  fields,  that  had  caused  him  to  be  named  after 
the  famous  Field  Marshal;  but  when  they  had  passed 
through  the  gate,  he  trotted  away  down  the  road  as  meekly 
and  sedately  as  if  he  had  only  been  called  Dobbin.  It  was 
one  of  those  delightful  days  when  winter  has  packed  up 
its  goods  for  departure  and  spring  while  not  actually  in 
possession  is  yet  hovering  around  revealing  her  presence 
by  many  a  subtle  sign  and  many  a  fragrant  essence.  The 
air  was  fulKof  dewy  freshness  and  as  they  drove  along 
through  the  alders  now  green-tinged  with  their  swelling 
leaf -buds,  their  naked  limbs  aquiver  for  the  season's  finery, 
the  girl  felt  her  spirits  rise  in  response  to  Nature's  promise. 
It  was  her  first  daylight  outing  in  the  new  country  and  the 
wildness  and  strangeness  of  it  all  appealed  most  strongly 


40    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

to  her  imagination.  To  ride  in  such  a  conveyance  was  in 
itself  an  adventure. 

Soon,  they  passed  out  of  the  alder  bush  into  a  thick 
forest  of  pines  and  cedars  of  lofty  height,  the  pitchy  frag- 
rance of  which  filled  the  air.  Here  and  there,  a  long, 
dead  trunk  stood  out  black  amongst  its  green-clad  fellows 
or  a  blackened  stump  showed  where  some  forest  monarch 
had  succumbed  to  the  ravages  of  the  fire,  its  deadly  foe. 
After  rural  England,  so  trim  and  well-cultivated  with  its 
hedge-rows  and  its  smiling  park-lands,  this  first  experi- 
ence of  the  forest  primeval  thrilled  her  delightfully.  There 
were  no  fences  on  either  side  and  no  evidence  of  human 
occupation,  other  than  the  mud  and  wheel-tracks  of  the 
rude  trail  along  which  they  drove.  All  was  silent  around 
them  except  for  the  gurgle  of  innumerable  brooks  and 
streamlets,  swollen  by  the  recent  rains. 

"Oh,  what  glorious  trees !"  she  exclaimed  at  last.  "Aren't 
they  grand  though,  Dick  ?" 

"Oh,  we've  got  lots  bigger  than  them,"  said  Dick  with 
an  air  of  pride.  "They're  not  so  bad  though,  I  guess. 
Wish  I  owned  them  and  I'd  show  you  something.  This 
timber  ain't  never  been  cut  yet." 

"Well,  I'm  sure  I  do  hope  they'll  never  cut  it." 

Dick  gave  a  grunt  and  his  small  face  was  full  of  mascu- 
line contempt  for  feminine  impracticability. 

"What'd  be  the  good  of  it  then  I  should  like  to  know. 
'Tain't  doing  nobody  any  good  now." 

"But  what  would  Peter  Pan  and  the  fairies  do  if  you 
cut  it  down  ?  I'm  sure  they  must  have  just  beautiful  times 
in  the  moonlight  nights  under  these  trees.  Haven't  you 
ever  seen  them,  Dick  ?" 

Dick  paused  a  moment  to  give  Kitchener,  whose  walk 
had  developed  into  a  crawl,  a  vigorous  cut  with  the  whip. 
"No,"  he  said  slowly,  after  that  animal  had  responded  with 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     41 

a  jerk  that  would  have  dislocated  any  neck  that  was  not 
well  prepared  for  it,  "there  ain't  any  folks  around  here 
of  that  name,  none  at  least  that  I  know  of  an'  I  guess  I 
know  pretty  near  everybody.  There's  a  Mr.  Faris  down 
Patchdale  way  but  that's  a  good  ten  mile  from  here.  Who's 
Peter  Pan  ?" 

"Why,  I  thought  every  boy  knew  about  Peter  Pan — 
Mr.  Barrie's  Peter  Pan.  He  was  a  little  boy,  you  know, 
that  never  wanted  to  grow  up  or  go  to  school,  so  he  went 
off  to  live  with  the  fairies  in  a  dear,  little  house  in  the 
branches  of  a  tree ;  and  he  had  such  a  splendid  time  play- 
ing with  them." 

"My,  but  that  was  ripping,  I  guess  he  didn't  have  to  do 
no  chores  though.  But  who  were  the  fairies  ?" 

"Why,  you  poor  boy!  did  you  really  never  hear  of  the 
fairies  ?  Well,  they  are  beautiful  little  spirits  that  go  about 
the  world  at  night  doing  good  deeds  to  help  people  out. 
They  were  always  young  and  they  are  invisible  to  mortal 
eyes  except  to  a  few  privileged  ones  like  Peter  Pan  who 
have  faith  in  them.  Sometimes,  they  do  people's  work  for 
them  so  that  when  they  get  up  in  the  morning  they  find 
that  what  they  left  all  undone  the  night  before  had  been 
finished  by  the  fairies  while  they  slept." 

"Gee!"  exclaimed  Dick  enthusiastically;  "I  just  wish 
they'd  saw  some  wood  for  me;  but  I  guess  there's  none 
of  them  around  this  country.  Did  you  ever  see  'em  ?"  and 
Dick  turned  his  hazel  eyes,  alight  with  interest,  full  upon 
the  young  woman.  It  was  such  a  gaze  as  forbade  decep- 
tion and  Marjorie  flinched  before  it. 

"Well,"  she  said,  after  a  moment  of  hesitation,  "I've 
seen  them  in  the  theatre,  of  course;  but,  in  their  native 
wilds,  I've  only  seen  them  with  my  mind'b  eye  and  not 
nearly  so  often  since  I've  grown  up,"  and  she  gave  a 
little  sigh.  "One  loses  so  much  when  one  grows  up,  Dick, 


42    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

my  dear ;  and  the  distinction  of  being  fit  company  for  the 
fairies  is  one  of  the  things.  Peter  Pan,  I'm  afraid,  was 
wiser  than  most  of  us." 

"I  dunno,"  said  Dick  doubtfully ;  "I  wish  I  was  grown 
up  and  had  a  horse  and  a  gun  of  my  own.  Seems  like  a 
boy  like  me  can't  do  anything  he  wants  to.  !N~ow  that 
guy,  Shivalree  must  have  had  a  dandy  time." 

"Who  did  you  say  ?" 

"Shivalree — you  know — the  chap  you  said  was  dead.  I 
asked  Mr.  Leicester  who  he  was  and  he  told  me  all  about 
him." 

"Oh !"  and  there  was  a  subtle  change  in  Marjorie's  in- 
flection which  the  boy  did  not  notice;  "and  what  did  he 
know  about  chivalry,  I  wonder." 

"He  said  he  was  a  fine,  brave  guy  that  rode  around  on 
a  big  horse  and  rescued  maidens  in  distress ;  and  it  didn't 
matter  to  him  how  humble  they  were.  At  first,  it  was  all 
right  and  they  were  grateful  to  him  for  saving  them ;  but 
after  a  while,  they  got  so  as  they  didn't  thank  him  at  all 
and  just  took  all  his  trouble  as  if  they  had  a  right  to  it 
because  they  were  women.  This  made  him  feel  sort  of 
sore  after  a  bit  'cos  although  he  didn't  look  for  no  reward 
yet  he  did  think  they  should  be  grateful  to  him ;  and  being 
as  he  was  a  kind  of  soft-hearted  chap,  it  worried  him  so 
much  that  he  died." 

Marjorie's  feelings  were  a  curious  mixture  as  she  lis- 
tened to  Dick's  naive  repetition  of  Mr.  Leicester's  ver- 
sion of  the  death  of  Chivalry  and  the  causes  that  led  up  to 
it.  When  she  made  the  remark  as  to  Chivalry  being  dead 
she  had,  of  course,  never  expected  that  it  would  be  re- 
peated to  Mr.  Leicester ;  and  lo,  here  he  had  flung  it  back 
to  her  charged  with  the  accusation  of  ingratitude.  Well, 
if  she  had  been  ungrateful — and  perhaps,  in  her  inmost 
conviction  she  felt  that  there  might  be  a  grain  of  justifi- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     43 

cation  for  such  an  assertion — it  had  not  been  her  fault. 
It  was  the  condescending  spirit  with  which  the  service 
had  been  rendered  that  she  had  objected  to.  In  conven- 
tional England  one  might  have  expected  it;  but  out  here 
in  the  free  and  untrammelled  West,  one  looked  for  some- 
thing different. 

"Oh,  but  that's  not  the  way  I've  heard  the  story  at  all," 
said  Marjorie;  and  she  laughed  lightly  but  scornfully. 
"When  Chivalry  was  young  his  heart  was  humble  and  he 
never  thought  of  himself  at  all;  but  as  he  grew  older,  he 
began  to  get  conceited  and  selfish  and  to  be  always  think- 
ing what  a  wonderful  fellow  he  was.  By  and  bye,  he 
would  not  think  of  rescuing  a  maiden  without  first  en- 
quiring about  her  lineage  and  if  he  found  she  was  of  low 
degree,  he  would  not  rescue  her  at  all;  or  if  he  did,  he 
treated  her  with  such  an  air  of  condescension  as  to  roll 
the  act  of  all  its  grace.  So,  it  was  no  wonder  that  the 
maiden  was  not  always  as  grateful  as  Chivalry  expected 
of  her.  At  any  rate,  Chivalry's  heart  became  cold  and 
proud  and  selfish  and  he  died  finally  of  enlargement  of 
the  cranium — that's  the  head  you  know,"  she  explained. 
"At  least,  that  is  what  I've  been  led  to  believe  was  his 
fate." 

Dick  leaned  forward  to  lift  Kitchener's  tail  which  had 
a  habit  of  twitching  over  the  lines,  in  a  manner  very  dis- 
concerting to  the  driver  as  it  held  them  in  such  a  grip  of 
iron  that  they  were  completely  useless  until  they  were 
released  again. 

"Well,  mebbe  you're  right,"  he  said  after  a  pause; 
"but  Mr.  Leicester  knows  an  awful  lot.  We'll  be  able 
to  make  better  time  now  we  are  out  of  the  woods." 

They  had  come  to  the  end  of  the  timber  and  the  road 
now  emerged  into  more  open  country  and  was  fenced  on 
both  sides.  As  they  drove  on,  they  passed  rude  log  shanties 


44    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

with  small  clearings  around  them  showing  where  the  set- 
tler had  made  his  first  start  in  the  fight  for  mastery  of 
the  forest.  Stumps  in  all  stages  of  the  laborious  process 
of  destruction  were  to  be  seen.  One  man  had  half  a 
dozen  or  so  burning  away  bravely  in  the  holes  from  which 
they  had  been  partially  blown  out  by  powder;  and  an- 
other with  one  horse  attached  to  a  wire  cable,  was  using 
a  stumping  machine  to  draw  them  from  the  jealous 
earth.  Dick  was  delighted  to  explain  the  whole  process 
of  land-clearing  to  his  companion. 

There  was  one  rather  exciting  experience  to  the  English 
girl.  They  were  trotting  quietly  along  the  road  when  a 
man  in  the  field  to  their  right  suddenly  came  rushing  down 
towards  them  shouting  out  words  that  were  quite  unintelli- 
gible and  gesticulating  violently.  Jumping  the  fence  he 
stood  in  the  road  in  front  of  them,  still  waving  his  hands 
and  jabbering  a  string  of  broken  English  which  it  was 
impossible  to  understand.  His  clothes  were  ragged  and 
torn  and  his  face  was  covered  with  mud  and  grime. 

"Am  I  to  be  held  up  on  my  very  first  drive  in  this 
country  ?"  she  said  to  herself,  her  heart  beating  fast  with 
fright. 

She  looked  at  Dick  to  see  how  he  was  affected  by  the 
apparition  and  was  relieved  to  see  that  he  seemed  to  be  in 
no  wise  alarmed  but  merely  pulled  up  the  horse  and 
grinned. 

"Hello,  Mr.  Hanson,  what's  up  now?"  he  questioned 
coolly. 

"You  bay  kape  back,"  the  man  cried  in  broken  English. 
"Us  be  blowin'  stoomp.  Here  bay  blast  soon." 

"He's  got  a  blast  set  in  a  stump  farther  down,"  Dick  ex- 
plained; "and  he  doesn't  want  us  to  go  any  nearer  until 
it  goes  off." 

Just  at  that  moment  it  did  go  off  with  a  great  noise 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     45 

and  scattering  of  earth  and  roots  in  every  direction;  and 
Kitchener,  not  having  the  same  acquaintance  with  gun- 
powder as  his  famous  namesake,  came  very  near  to  up- 
setting the  buggy  in  his  astonishment  and  terror. 

"It's  a  hard  job  clearing  land,"  said  Dick  when  they 
were  going  on  again,  "and  a  mighty  slow  one.  Dad's  been 
six  years  on  our  place  and  he's  only  got  about  ten  acres 
cleared.  An'  powder  costs  such  a  lot  too.  I  just  wish  we 
had  plenty  of  money." 

They  were  now  passing  through  a  better  settled  district 
where  the  ranches  were  mostly  fully  cleared  and  better 
kept;  and  some  of  them  had  freshly-painted  houses  of 
one  and  two  stories — one  house  with  a  flagstaff,  Dick 
proudly  pointed  out  as  belonging  to  the  Reeve.  After 
they  had  passed  it,  the  road  came  to  the  brow  of  a  hill 
from  which  they  saw  the  village  below  them  and  the  wide 
stream  of  the  Fraser  stretching  away  out  to  the  west. 
'Along  its  banks  lay  the  line  of  the  railway  and  the  few 
stores  and  houses  that  composed  the  village  were  grouped 
about  the  station. 

Dick  drove  his  passenger  up  to  the  store  with  some 
pride  and  cramped  the  wheels  to  allow  of  her  getting  out 
without  any  danger  of  soiling  her  dress.  The  building 
was  crude  enough  in  its  outside  appearance  with  its  un- 
painted  rustic  boards  but  was  commodious  and  well-ap- 
pointed within.  All  sorts  of  miscellaneous  wares  were 
neaped  or  scattered  around,  clothing,  saddlery,  hardware, 
every  thing  almost  that  one  could  think  of  and  there  was 
that  delightful,  distinctive,  composite  smell  which  is  only 
to  be  found  in  a  country  store.  At  the  right  of  the  en- 
trance, a  space  had  been  partitioned  off  for  the  post  office 
and  there  was  a  window  through  which  the  mail  was 
handed  out.  By  the  side  of  it  were  numerous  placards, 
printed  forestry  and  game-law  notices,  advertisements  of 


46    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

live-stock  for  sale  by  neighbouring  farmers  written  in 
scrawling  handwriting  or  painfully  printed  in  ink ;  and  the 
attractions  of  a  Grand  Masquerade  Dance,  at  which  the 
admission  for  gentlemen  was  to  be  fifty  cents  and  for 
ladies  twenty-five,  were  heralded  in  glowing  terms. 

The  place  seemed  somewhat  dark  after  coming  in  from 
the  full  light  outside;  and  Marjorie  stood  for  a  few  mo- 
ments looking  about  her  until  her  eyes  became  accustomed 
to  the  gloom.  The  store-keeper,  a  jovial,  rubicund  Scots- 
man, to  her  surprise  seemed  to  know  who  she  was  and  asked 
very  kindly  for  Mrs.  Bolton.  He  did  not  offer  to  carry 
out  her  parcels  to  the  buggy,  however;  and  as  Dick  had 
declared  it  necessary  for  him  to  stay  with  Kitchener  as 
the  afternoon  train  was  due,  she  had  to  do  this  herself. 
There  were  several  of  them  and  she  had  just  almost  reached 
the  door  when  Mr.  Leicester  strode  in.  He  wore  a  norf oik 
jacket,  riding  breeches  and  leggings  and  presented  a  very 
different  appearance  from  the  shabby-looking  rancher  who 
had  driven  her  to  his  place  a  week  ago. 

UTow,  Marjorie  had  been  anticipating  her  next  meeting 
with  Mr.  Leicester  and  had  nursed  pleasant  visions  of 
the  effective  manner  in  which  she  would  administer  to 
him  a  well-merited  snubbing.  To  have  it  thrust  upon 
her  now  when  all  the  advantages  of  the  encounter  were 
upon  the  other  side  was  most  annoying.  To  be  coldly 
dignified  with  one's  arms  full  of  parcels  is  difficult  if 
not  really  impossible.  At  least,  Marjorie  found  it  so; 
and  in  her  vexation  she  coloured  up  to  the  roots  of  her 
hair  and  straightway  dropped  two  of  the  parcels. 

There  was  no  such  disadvantage  of  surprise  on  Keith's 
side.  He  had  chatted  with  Dick  outside  and  was  aware  of 
Miss  Coon's  presence  in  the  store  although  he  did  not  ex- 
pect to  meet  her  on  the  threshold.  Truth  to  tell,  he  had 
felt  somewhat  piqued  at  the  remarks  on  the  decadence  of 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     47 

chivalry  which  had  been  so  naively  reported  to  him;  al- 
though he  felt  that  he  had  lowered  his  dignity  to  let  his 
mind  dwell  on  the  matter  at  all.  He  felt  annoyed  at 
having  to  meet  Miss  Coon  but  he  could  not  now  very  well 
avoid  it ;  and  he  felt  that  it  would  be  only  civil  for  him  to 
ask  her  how  she  was  getting  along. 

So  he  smiled  condescendingly  at  the  parcel-laden  figure 
but  was  quickly  jolted  out  of  his  self-possession  by  the 
accident  that  occurred.  If  it  is  difficult  to  adopt  a  digni- 
fied pose  when  one  drops  one's  parcels,  it  is  equally  difficult 
to  do  so  when  one  sees  them  drop  and  has  to  pick  them  up, 
especially  when  the  one  is  a  package  of  rice  which  has 
burst  in  its  fall  and  the  other  is  a  bag  of  onions,  several 
of  which  have  rolled  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  bag. 

"Allow  me,"  said  Keith,  as  he  stopped  to  retrieve  the 
fallen. 

"Oh,  I'm  sorry  to  trouble  you,"  said  Marjorie,  as,  after 
a  moment's  pause,  she  went  on  out  to  the  buggy  with  what 
was  left  of  her  load,  her  head  thrown  back  proudly  and 
only  the  crimson  in  her  cheeks  proclaiming  her  distress; 
Keith  followed  meekly  in  the  rear,  cautiously  bearing  his 
part  of  the  salvage. 

"Why  didn't  you  ask  old  Jamieson  to  carry  these  out 
for  you?"  said  Dick.  "Gee!  looks  like  there  has  been  a 
wedding,"  he  chuckled  as  he  saw  the  train  of  rice  that 
Keith  was  leaving  in  his  wake.  "I  guess  I'll  get  Jim  to 
give  me  another  bag  though,  or  we'll  lose  it  all  before  we 
get  home,"  and  with  a  bound  he  was  out  of  the  buggy  and 
away  with  the  rice  into  the  store. 

Marjorie  climbed  into  the  buggy,  after  bestowing  her 
parcels  in  the  bottom.  Its  antediluvian  appearance  which 
had  before  given  her  so  much  pleasure  was  now  as  worm- 
wood to  her  soul;  and  Kitchener's  knobby  and  ill-kept 
figure  seemed  a  mark  for  derision  when  set  beside  Mr. 


48    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Leicester's  sleek,  bay  cob  that  was  sniffing  contemptuously 
at  the  roan's  Roman  nose. 

"I  trust  that  you  are  none  the  worse  of  your  long 
journey  and  the  ride  in  the  rain  that  came  at  the  end  of 
it,"  said  Keith  after  he  had  placed  the  onions  in  safety 
at  her  feet.  She  looked  decidedly  pretty,  he  thought  to, 
himself,  with  her  delicate  features  and  long,  black  lashes 
and  the  flame  of  colour  that  still  burned  up  to  the  very 
tips  of  her  small  ears.  He  had  recovered  from  his  momen- 
tary embarrassment  and  felt  himself  master  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

"Oh,  not  at  all,"  she  said.  "I  must  thank  you  again 
for  your  kindness  in  driving  me  up  with  you,  especially 
as  it  put  you  to  so  much  inconvenience.  The  storekeeper 
should  not  have  foisted  me  on  you  the  way  he  did ;''  and 
she  smiled  somewhat  coldly  as  she  turned  to  look  him  in 
the  eyes.  "This  is  the  second  time  that  you  have  come 
to  my  rescue,"  she  added  with  a  touch  of  roguishness 
glancing  down  at  the  onions ;  "and  believe  me,  I  am  grate- 
ful in  proportion  to  the  good-will  of  the  service  in  both 
cases.  Here  is  Dick  with  the  rice." 

"I'll  try  you  a  race  up  the  road,  Mr.  Leicester,"  said 
Dick  as  he  took  his  seat  and  gathered  up  the  reins. 

"Not  to-day,  Dicky,"  Keith  replied  as  he  lifted  his  hat 
and  turned  to  go  back  into  the  store. 


CHAPTEK  VII 

One  moral's  plain — without  more  fuss; 
Man's  social  happiness  all  rests  on  us: 
Through  all  the  drama — whether  damn'd  or  not — 
Love  gilds  the  scene,  and  women  guide  the  plot. 

SHERIDAN. 

KEITH  was  seated  at  his  supper  with  Caesar  as  usual 
on  the  hearthrug  beside  him.  He  was  thinking  how  curi- 
ously a  face  may  sometimes  linger  in  the  memory  flitting 
without  rhyme  or  reason  across  the  web  of  one's  conscious- 
ness with  something  of  the  same  consistency  as  a  phrase 
of  the  music  of  some  opera  one  has  heard  will  keep  ringing 
in  one's  head  for  days  afterwards.  It  was  now  a  week 
since  the  rencontre  at  the  store  and,  in  spite  of  the 
awkwardness  he  felt  he  had  displayed  and  the  evident  em- 
barrassment and  dislike  of  him  evinced  by  "Bolton's  hired 
girl,"  he  still  found  himself  dwelling  on  the  incident  with 
a  certain  pleasing  titillation  of  spirits. 

"Cffisar,  my  boy,  I'm  afraid  we're  going  batty,  you  and 
I.  They  say  when  a  chap  goes  mad  with  loneliness  and 
privation  in  the  Yukon,  'the  !North  has  got  him ;'  I  doubt 
with  me  it's  the  West  and  the  woods." 

Csesar  wagged  his  tail  gravely  but  declined  otherwise 
to  commit  himself. 

"Yes,  Doggy ;  this  return  to  Nature  and  the  simple  life 
is  all  very  well  but  it  seems  to  break  down  the  social 
barriers  with  a  vengeance.  To  see  me  following  the  hired 
girl  to  her  buggy — and  such  a  buggy  too — as  if  I  were 

49 


50    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

playing  footman  to  a  howling  swell — ye  gods  and  little 
fishes!  there  was  a  sight  to  stagger  the  good  folks  at 
home. 

"And  truth  to  tell,"  he  mused,  "I'm  afraid  that  the 
young  woman  wasn't  as  appreciative  of  the  condescension 
as  she  might  have  been.  She  didn't  seem  any  too  pleased 
to  see  me  and  methinks  there  was  a  suggestion  of  irony 
in  her  manner.  What  was  it  she  said  ?  Something  about 
'grateful  in  proportion  to  the  good-will  of  the  service  ren- 
dered!' Sounds  rather  oracular,  I'm  afraid.  Well,  it's 
true  enough,  the  good-will  wasn't  any  too  much  in  evi- 
dence that  night  I  brought  her  up.  No  doubt,  she  felt 
that  I  was  not  very  civil  and  she  hasn't  forgiven  me. 
Chivalry's  dead,  is  he  ?  Well,  I  only  hope  Dicky  handed 
on  my  remarks  as  to  the  reason  for  his  decease ;  that  ought 
to  bowl  her  over  if  anything  would." 

At  this  point  Mrs.  Dalrymple  entered  with  a  plate  of 
toast. 

"What  is  your  opinion,  Mrs.  Dalrymple,"  said  Keith, 
"as  to  the  deterioration  of  your  sex  ?  Do  you  think  it  is 
losing  its  old-time  virtues  of  modesty  and  faith  and  self- 
sacrifice  and  replacing  them  with  a  modern  cult  of  indul- 
gence and  self-assertion?  Some  people  claim,  you  know, 
that  woman  now  instead  of  being  a  helpmate  to  man,  has 
become  a  mere  parasite  sapping  his  strength  and  pulling 
down  his  ideals." 

Mrs.  Dalrymple  placed  one  hand  on  her  hip  and  tucked 
the  other  below  her  apron. 

"Losh  keep  me,  sir !"  she  said,  "you  may  depend  on  it 
that  it's  only  some  meeserable  men  craturs  that  are  sayin' 
it  that  would  go  back  on  their  ain  mithers  if  they  were  to 
profit  by  it.  Not  as  I  know  what  you  mean  by  a  parasite 
unless  it's  ane  o'  thae  things  in  which  you  tummil  doon 
frae  a  balloon  in,  birlin'  round  a'  the  time  for  a'  the  warld 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    51 

like  a'  tapilteerie.  Very  dangerous  things  they  maun  be. 
I  mind  aince  at  Perth  seein'  a  man  come  doon  in  ane  on 
the  North  Inch  an'  a  maist  wonderf u'  sicht  it  was ;  but  as 
for  a  woman  pu'in'  a  man  doon  that  way,  I  think  it's 
mair  often  the  ither  way  roond.  Mony  a  man's  only 
chance  of  gettin'  intae  Heaven  is  by  hangin'  on  to  his 
wife's  coat-tails." 

"What  you  are  thinking  of,"  said  Keith  smiling,  "is  a 
parachute,  not  a  parasite.  However,  that's  all  right. 
You  would  suggest  no  doubt  that  just  as  when  the  man 
takes  hold  of  the  parachute,  down  he  goes,  so  it  is  when  he 
becomes  attached  to  a  woman." 

"Naething  o'  the  kind,  sir,"  she  retorted  with  a  grin. 
"Ye  ken  fine  what  I  was  meanin'.  It's  the  parachute  that 
saves  the  puir  chiel  from  destruction.  ,If  it  were  na  for 
it  he  would  be  dashed  to  pieces,  now  wouldn't  he  ?  Weel, 
then  that's  juist  the  way  wi'  the  women.  It's  the  men, 
puir  feckless  creatures,  that  are  sure  tae  fa'  if  they  dinna 
hae  the  women  tae  bear  them  up  an'  let  them  come  doon 
easy." 

"I  see  you're  a  good  champion  of  your  sex  anyway,  Mrs. 
Dalrymple,  and  it's  no  use  trying  to  abuse  it  to  you.  But 
talking  of  women,  have  you  heard  how  Mrs.  Bolton  is?" 

"Yes,  I  was  over  seein'  her  this  afternoon,  sir.  She's 
still  poorly  but  the  Doctor  says  she'll  soon  be  all  right 
again.  She's  had  a  hard  time  of  it  an',  nae  doot,  it'll  hae 
been  quite  an  expense  to  them  an'  they  can  ill  afford  it 
I'm  thinkin'." 

"I  suppose  it  will  be  quite  an  expense  having  to  hire 
this  girl." 

"Aye,  that  it  will,  at  least,  if  they  are  paying  her.  It 
does  na  look  tae  me  as  she's  been  used  to  service  either." 

"Why,  what  makes  you  think  that  ?" 

"Oh,  it's  gey  hard  to  say.    I  thocht  she  was  a'right  the 


52    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

night  you  broght  her  up  when  she  was  tellin'  me  about  the 
servants  at  the  hoose  where  she  was ;  an'  a  fine,  big  estab- 
lishment it  must  ha'  been.  She  may  have  been  the  hoose- 
keeper's  daughter,  but,  you  mark  my  words,  she  has  na 
been  in  service.  She's  ower  genteel-like  and  she's  got  a 
wey  with  her.  You  can  tell  wi'  an  auld-country  lass 
though  you  might  na  wi'  a  Canadian.  There's  plenty  o' 
ladies'  maids  genteel  enough  in  the  way  they  speak  but 
they  dinna  hae  her  mainner;"  and  she  shook  her  head 
sagely. 

"The  plot  thickens,  Caesar,  my  boy,"  said  Keith,  when 
Mrs.  Dalrymple  had  taken  her  departure,  addressing  the 
dog  who  was  lying  on  the  hearthrug  looking  up  at  him  and 
gently  wagging  his  tail  at  the  sound  of  his  master's  voice. 
"The  beggar  maid  has  acquired  possibilities;  she  is  the 
putative  daughter  of  a  housekeeper.  We  have  been  en- 
tertaining an  angel  unawares ;  no  wonder  that  she  treats  us 
with  cold  disdain.  Birth  and  breeding  cannot  be  hidden 
from  the  keen  eyes  of  Mrs.  Dalrymple,  no  matter  how 
blind  we  might  be.  From  housekeeper's  daughter  to  ranch- 
slavey,  there  is  a  height  to  drop  from ;  and  we  must  have 
been  pouring  vitriol  on  the  ground  when  we  patronised  her 
about  her  'place.'  Well,  to-morrow  being  the  Sabbath, 
you  and  I,  Cassar,  will  fare  forth  and  call  upon  the  master 
of  the  housekeeper's  daughter  on  a  visit  of  condolence; 
and  incidentally  we  may  learn  something  of  the  present 
status  of  the  lady.  Poor  Bolton,  he  has  a  pretty  hard  row 
to  hoe  making  both  ends  meet  and  his  wife's  sickness  will 
come  all  the  harder  on  him  because  of  the  extra  expense 
of  the  business." 


CHAPTER  VIII 


Ho!  green  fields  and  running  brooks! 
Knotted  strings  and  fishing  hooks. 

JAMES  WHITCOMB  EILET. 


THE  following  afternoon,  Keith  strolled  over  towards 
Bolton's.  It  was  mild  and  sunny  and  the  sky  was  full  of 
light,  fleecy  clouds.  He  crossed  over  the  newly-ploughed 
land  of  his  orchard  and  took  the  trail  down  the  creek  bank 
to  the  falls  which  were  one  of  the  sights  of  the  neighbour- 
hood and  brought  many  visitors  to  see  them  in  the  summer- 
time. There  were  stepping-stones  just  above  them  that 
might  be  crossed  dry-shod  in  summer  but  now,  when  the 
creek  was  high  with  the  spring  rains,  it  was  necessary  to 
walk  the  trunk  of  a  great  fir  that  had  been  "failed" 
across. 

It  was  with  a  certain  shock  and  mingled  feelings  that 
as  he  climbed  down  the  steep  path,  he  saw  below  him  a 
slight  figure  in  green  perched  right  in  the  middle  of  the 
great  log  fishing  intently  in  the  rushing  waters  below. 
Avowed  woman-hater  though  he  might  be,  he  could  not 
deny  the  pleasingness  of  the  picture,  the  greenclad  figure 
with  its  nymphlike  pose  harmonised  so  perfectly  with  the 
moss-covered  log  and  the  spring  foliage  of  the  trees  while 
the  rushing,  foaming  water  below  added  life  and  contrast. 
At  the  same  time  he  felt  annoyed  that  a  meeting  with 
Miss  Coon — for  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  the  nymph's 
identity — should  be  forced  upon  him  again  when  the  last 

53 


54    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

one  had  proved  so  embarrassing.  He  had,  of  course,  con- 
templated the  possibility  of  having  to  face  her  at  the  Bol- 
tons;  but  that  was  a  vastly  different  thing  from  a  tete-a- 
tete  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree  in  the  middle  of  a  stream.  To 
retreat  up  the  bank  again  was  to  risk  discovery  and  would 
be  too  undignified  so  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to 
proceed. 

At  least,  he  had  the  advantage  of  surprise;  for  Mar- 
jorie  was  so  intent  upon  her  line  that  she  did  not  observe 
him  until  he  had  come  half-way  along  the  log  towards  her. 
The  sight  was  so  unexpected  that  she  almost  dropped  her 
rod;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  her  feelings  were  not  at  all 
mingled.  Decently  clad  as  she  was,  save  for  her  head 
which  was  hatless,  Diana  herself  did  not  view  Acteon  with 
any  greater  inward  disgust  than  she  did  the  innocent 
Keith.  Had  she  been  aware  of  the  effectiveness  of  her 
pose  on  the  log  or  of  the  fact  that  the  truant  strands  of 
wavy  hair  pulled  down  about  her  eyes  by  the  tree  branches 
were  really  most  becoming,  her  annoyance  might  have 
been  less  bitter;  but  what  she  did  feel  was  that  she  was 
very  untidy  and  somewhat  insecure  on  her  perch.  Could 
she  never  get  away  from  this  man  who  was  always  thrust- 
ing himself  on  her  at  the  most  inopportune  moments  ?  He 
would  certainly  want  to  get  past  and  while  she  had  felt 
perfectly  secure  and  level-headed  when  she  had  come  out 
on  the  log  with  Dick,  the  running  water  and  the  sudden 
appearance  of  Keith  had  unnerved  her  and  she  felt  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  get  up  to  her  feet  unaided,  far  less 
walk  back  to  terra  firma.  However,  the  first  shock  of  sur- 
prise over  and  her  startled  faculties  rallied  bravely. 

Keith  was  the  first  to  speak.  He  felt  grateful  that  a 
closer  view  failed  to  disillusionise  his  first  impression  of 
her  pictorial  qualities.  In  fact,  his  annoyance  had  van- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    55 

ished  and  he  found  himself  considering  the  maiden  with  at 
least  a  kindly  tolerance  if  not  an  active  interest. 

"I  thought  that  all  old  country  people  were  ardent 
keepers  of  the  Sabbath,  at  least  when  they  first  came  out," 
he  said  lifting  his  hat  and  squatting  down  on  the  log  a 
few  feet  from  her. 

"This  is  a  work  of  mercy,"  she  replied  with  a  smile. 
"We  hoped  to  get  something  that  would  tempt  the  in- 
valid." 

"Oh,  I  see.  But  I'm  afraid  there  is  no  sign  of  a  miracu- 
lous draught  of  fishes,"  said  Keith  glancing  down  quizzi- 
cally at  a  small  trout  about  five  inches  long  that  lay  half 
covered  up  with  a  small  handkerchief  beside  a  tin  of 
worms. 

"N"o,  I  doubt  all  that  has  been  accomplished  so  far  is 
the  slaughter  of  the  innocents,  to  judge  by  the  number  of 
worms  that  have  been  impaled  and  then  sent  to  a  watery 
grave.  They  simply  will  not  stay  on  the  hook.  I  never 
thoroughly  appreciated  the  true  inwardness  of  the  saying 
that  even  a  worm  will  turn  until  this  afternoon.  It  seems 
to  be  their  one  great  gift  by  the  way  they  squirm — ugh," 
and  she  gave  a  little  grimace  of  disgust.  "It  was  all  right 
while  Dick  was  here  to  put  them  on;  but  he  went  off  up 
stream  and  left  me  to  my  own  devices." 

"They  certainly  know  how  to  wriggle,"  said  Keith  smil- 
ing. 

"Dick  thought  there  were  more  chances  of  fish  further 
up,"  she  explained.  "As  for  me,  I  fear  I  am  a  poor  sports- 
woman ;  for  if  the  fish  will  not  come  to  my  line  I  am  not 
willing  to  chase  all  over  the  stream  for  them." 

"Old  Izaak  says  the  angler  is  like  the  poet,  he  has  to  be 
born  to  it ;  and,  no  doubt,  there  is  a  deal  of  truth  in  what 
he  says.  One  must  have,  to  begin  with,  a  calm  and  medita- 
tive disposition,  in  fact  the  philosophic  temperament." 


56    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"That  might  be  all  right  with  fly-fishing,  but  to  fish 
successfully  with  bait,  I  should  say  required  the  tempera- 
ment of  a  butcher,"  said  Marjorie,  with  a  scornful  intona- 
tion and  casting  viciously.  "My  acquaintance  with  old 
Izaak  is  of  the  slightest — a  mere  nodding  one,  one  might 
say — but  I  am  inclined  to  think  he  used  a  great  deal  of 
(argument  extolling  the  mildness  of  the  angler's  disposition 
just  to  cover  the  natural  cruelty  of  the  craft.  I  know  I 
felt  positively  criminal  when  I  was  taking  that  poor  little 
troutlet  off  the  hook;  and  as  for  skewering  worms" — and 
she  broke  off  with  a  little  shudder. 

Keith  regarded  her  with  an  amused  smile. 

"I'm  afraid  that  in  the  slimness  of  your  acquaintance, 
you  do  the  old  fellow  an  injustice.  Some  of  his  arguments 
are  most  incontestable,  as,  for  instance,  that  the  ancient 
canons  of  the  church  while  they  barred  hunting  as  a  suit- 
able recreation  for  parsons  encouraged  that  of  angling  as 
being  conducive  to  mildness  and  contemplation.  Surely, 
it  cannot  be  very  bloodthirsty  if  it  is  recommended  to 
them." 

Marjorie  shook  her  head. 

"I'm  not  so  sure,"  she  said ;  "I  have  seen  some  parsons — 
Oh,  bother!  he's  off  again,"  she  cried  in  dismay  as  she 
gazed  sadly  at  the  dangling  hook  which  was  bare  of  its 
burden. 

Keith  watched  her  with  some  inward  amusement  as, 
having  gathered  up  her  line,  she  selected  a  worm  and  pro- 
ceeded in  spite  of  all  its  wriggling  protests  to  adjust  it 
on  the  hook.  His  eye  dwelt  with  appreciation,  however, 
on  the  graceful  curve  of  her  neck  and  the  delicate  pink  of 
her  cheek,  as  she  bent  her  head  anxiously  over  her  ungrate- 
ful task.  She  was  about  to  throw  the  line  out  again  when 
he  stopped  her. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    57 

"No,  that  won't  do,"  he  said.  "Suppose  you  permit  me 
in  Dick's  absence  to  perform  his  duty.  Now,  had  you  been 
a  pupil  of  old  Izaak  instead  of  a  mere  acquaintance,  you 
would  know  better  than  to  be  satisfied  with  only  one  im- 
palement of  the  worm;  for  he  has  half  a  chapter  on  the 
proper  way  to  do  it.  That  fellow  wouldn't  be  on  the  hook 
for  two  minutes ;"  and  he  leaned  over  and  grasped  the  line. 
"You  have  to  put  it  through  him  twice,"  and  he  showed 
her  how  it  was  done  so  that  the  worm  would  not  come 
off.  "It's  not  exactly  a  lady's  job  though." 

"I  see,"  she  said  with  a  smile  a  little  rueful;  "and  I 
thank  you  very  much.  I  think  though  that  after  this 
I'll  have  to  fish  with  a  fly.  It's  very  nice  to  have  a  helper 
along,  of  course,  but  real  sportswomen,  don't  you  think, 
ought  to  be  independent  ?" 

"Well,  perhaps,"  he  hesitated.  "Still  you  know,  from  a 
purely  masculine  standpoint,  when  it's  a  question  of  a 
lady,  we  do  not  like  her  too  independent.  See  how  it 
flatters  my  vanity  to  be  allowed  to  bait  your  hook  ?" 

"Oh!"  she  turned  to  look  at  him  reproachfully;  "and  I 
thought  that  your  impulse  was  purely  benevolent.  I  have 
often  been  told  that  men  were  above  all  such  petty  weak- 
nesses." 

"Not  at  all,"  he  parried  promptly;  "but  they  are  more 
subtle  in  concealing  them,  or  rather  in  attempting  to  con- 
ceal them;  for,  no  doubt,  the  average  man  is  transparent 
before  feminine  eyes.  Ostrich-like  he  may  imagine  himself 
inscrutable  as  the  Sphinx;  but,  as  a  fact,  the  average 
woman  can  read  him  like  a  book." 

She  shook  her  head  incredulously,  her  eyes  intent  on 
her  line. 

"You're  throwing  dust  in  my  eyes  now,"  she  laughed. 
"True,  your  surface  emotions  are  an  open  book  to  us; 


58    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

but  there  are  strata  below  to  wljich  we  cannot  penetrate. 
When  a  woman  is  humble,  she  means  it ;  with  a  man  it  is 
mostly  mock." 

"O,  generation  of  hypocrites  that  we  are!"  said  Keith 
solemnly.  "]STo  wonder  chivalry  is  dead !"  and  he  plucked 
at  the  moss  beside  him  with  apparent  unconcern.  ? 

Glancing  sidewise,  he  could  see  a  wave  of  colour  rise 
from  her  neck  to  the  roots  of  her  hair  and  the  tip  of  her 
small  ear.  She  rose  to  her  feet  and  began  to  wind  in  her 
line,  all  her  timidity  and  lightheadedness  forgotten.  Erect 
and  lissome  she  stood  with  chin  uptilted  slightly,  balancing 
herself  with  ease  on  the  mossy  footing  like  some  veritable 
nymph  of  the  stream.  Keith  after  the  first  moment  of 
surprise  rose  also. 

"I  think  that  I  shall  have  to  go  after  Dicky  and  see 
if  he  is  having  any  better  luck  than  I  am,"  she  said,  and 
her  voice  and  glance  were  cold.  "I  fear  our  talking  is 
frightening  the  fish.  I  am  keeping  you  from  getting  across 
too,"  she  said  as  she  turned  her  back  and  walked  slowly 
but  with  conscious  dignity  along  the  log  to  the  bank,  fol- 
lowed by  the  crestfallen  Keith. 

"I  thank  you  for  your  kind  assistance,  but  I  must  not 
keep  you  from  your  stroll,"  and,  with  a  slight  bow,  she 
turned  to  walk  up  stream. 

As  Keith  turned  down  through  the  trees,  Caesar  ap- 
peared with  his  tongue  hanging  out  fresh  from  the  chase 
of  some  rabbit  or  other  forest  denizen  and  looked  up  in 
his  master's  face  for  sympathy  and  greeting. 

"Caesar,  my  boy,"  said  Keith,  "the  daughter  of  the 
housekeeper  has  snubbed  us,  deliberately  and  of  intention ! 
What  do  you  think  of  that  now?" 

The  brightness,  somehow,  seemed  to  have  gone  out  of 
the  sunshine  and  the  woods  looked  chill  and  uninviting. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    59 

He  thought  he  would  not  now  go  to  Bolton's  seeing  he  had 
heard  the  latest  as  to  the  invalid's  health ;  and  so,  he  slipped 
back  across  the  stream  and  went  home  to  his  book  and  his 
fireside. 


CHAPTER  IX 


There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Eough-hew  them  how  we  will. 

SHAKESPEARE. 


AFTER  the  parting  with.  Mr.  Leicester,  Marjorie  walked 
with  her  head  in  the  air  as  rapidly  along  the  bank  of  the 
stream  as  was  possible  without  entangling  her  rod  and 
line  in  the  foliage  of  the  trees.  The  first  impulse  of  her 
anger  past,  she  began  to  think  that  she  had  been  some- 
what hasty  in  administering  such  a  decided  snub  for  such 
a  comparatively  trivial  offence.  After  all,  considered  with- 
out prejudice  it  was  rather  neat  the  way  he  had  worked 
it  in;  and  altogether  the  little  conversation  had  been  a 
pleasant  break  in  the  afternoon's  monotony.  Mr.  Leicester 
had  talked  rather  well  too  and  had  not  used  any  of  that 
tone  of  condescension  which  had  been  evident  on  the  night 
he  had  driven  her  up. 

The  train  of  her  thoughts,  however,  was  rudely  inter- 
rupted by  a  tremendous  war-whoop  that  came  from  the 
midst  of  a  hollow  tree,  from  out  of  the  mossy  trunk  of 
which  burst  Dick  brandishing  an  improvised  tomahawk 
after  the  approved  style  of  Cooper's  redskins.  Marjorie 
knowing  what  was  expected,  quickly  sank  on  her  knees  to 
plead  for  mercy  and  was  immediately  scalped.  This  oper- 
ation having  been  satisfactorily  completed  and  the  quiver- 
ing victim  having  risen  to  her  feet,  the  redskin  became  the 
small  boy  again  and  resumed  his  normal  manner. 

60 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    61 


"Gee,  I  thought  I'd  scare  you  that  time,"  he  cried  exul- 
tantly. "Didn't  see  me  at  all,  did  you  ?" 

"A  fine  fright  you  gave  me,"  said  Marjorie  smiling. 
"But  what  about  the  fish?  Have  you  caught  any?" 

"Bet  I  have,"  said  Dick;  and,  going  behind  the  tree, 
lie  brought  forth  a  bundle  and,  quickly  untying  the  white 
cloth  around  it,  exhibited  five  fine  trout,  the  largest  about 
nine  inches  long.  "Guess  Mother'll  be  glad.  She'll  like 
them  all  right,  won't  she?" 

"Why,  those  are  beauties;  I'm  sure  she  will  be  de- 
lighted. Poor  me,  didn't  catch  a  thing,"  lamented  Mar- 
jorie. 

"Too  bad ;  but  girls  can't  catch  fish — leastways,"  he  add- 
ed, fearing  to  hurt  her  feelings,  "they  don't  try  much 
round  here." 

"Mr.  Leicester  seemed  to  have  the  same  opinion  about 
us.  Dick,"  and  her  voice  became  very  solemn;  "do  you 
think  it  is  a  nice  thing  to  do — do  you  think  Chivalry  would 
have  done  it — to  leave  a  young  woman  sitting  all  alone  on 
a  narrow  log  in  the  middle  of  a  stream  when  she  is  just 
as  likely  to  fall  in  as  not  ?" 

Dick  looked  up  into  her  face  to  see  if  she  was  serious. 

"Aw,  go  on  now,"  he  said  unable  to  determine;  "you 
weren't  afraid,  were  you?" 

"Oh,  but  I  was  though,"  said  Marjorie ;  "I  thought  that 
I  would  have  to  creep  back  on  my  hands  and  knees." 

The  shade  of  trouble  on  Dick's  face  cleared  away  in  a 
flash  and  he  grinned. 

"Gee !  I'll  bet  Mr.  Leicester  came  along  and  helped  you 
over.  I  saw  Csesar  chasing  a  rabbit  and  I  thought  he 
wouldn't  be  far  away." 

Marjorie  frowned,  but  the  frown  quickly  melted  into  a 
smile. 

"Oh  no,  he  didn't;  although  he  was  there  and  I  dare 


62    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

say  would  have  done  so  had  the  occasion  arisen.  The 
greater  fear  conquered  the  lesser  and  so  there  was  no  need." 

Dick  pondered  the  meaning  of  this  speech  for  a  space  as 
he  chewed  the  end  of  a  succulent  spear  of  grass. 

"You  don't  like  him  much,  do  you?"  he  said. 

"I?  Why  should  I  like  him  or  dislike  him?  I  don't 
take  to  his  manners  though.  He  is  too  conceited  and  su- 
perior; but  small  boys  shouldn't  be  so  inquisitive." 

Dick  chuckled. 

"Funny,  isn't  it,  he  thinks  you're  our  hired  girl.  I'd 
like  to  see  his  face  if  I  was  to  tell  him  that  Mother  was 
once  your  nurse  and  that  you  lived  in  a  beautiful  castle 
like  the  Sleeping  Beauty.  I  don't  think  he  is  a  bit  con- 
ceited though;"  he  went  on  more  seriously,  "he's  always 
been  jolly  good  to  me." 

Marjorie  made  a  gesture  of  alarm. 

"Promise  me,  Dick,  that  you'll  never  tell  him  nor  any- 
body else.  It's  a  secret  you  know  and  it's  only  girls  that  are 
supposed  not  to  be  able  to  keep  a  secret." 

"Trust  me,  honest  injun,"  said  Dick  with  a  dignified 
air.  "It's  just  like  the  story  you  were  telling  me  about  the 
princess  in  disguise  that  ran  away  from  home  dressed  in 
rags  like  a  beggar ;  and  a  prince  fell  in  love  with  her.  and 
didn't  know  she  was  a  princess  till  after  he  had  married 
her.  Gee !"  and  Dick's  eyes  gleamed  at  the  prospect — "I 
wonder  if  Mr.  Leicester  will  fall  in  love  with  you." 

Marjorie  blushed  and  this  time  the  frown  did  not  melt 
into  a  smile. 

"I'm  surprised  at  you,  Dick,"  she  said  severely;  "don't 
you  know  that  it  is  very  impolite  for  small  boys  to  make 
such  remarks  as  that.  But  it  is  time  we  were  taking  the 
trout  to  your  mother,"  she  broke  off  to  get  away  from  the 
delicate  subject.  "Perhaps  if  we  fry  them  nicely  in  but- 
ter we  shall  tempt  her  to  eat  them." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     63 

"You're  awful  good  to  Mother,  aren't  you?  I  don't 
know  what  we'd  a  done  if  you  hadn't  come  when  you  did. 
Mother  was  terribly  bad  and  when  that  other  girl  came 
out  and  saw  what  a  poor  place  we  had  and  wouldn't  stay, 
Dad  just  about  gave  up.  We'd  a  had  to  sell  the  team  to 
ha'  paid  her  anyway;  but  Dad,  he  thought  Mother  would 
die  if  she  didn't  have  some  one  that  knew  more  about 
nursin'  an'  cookin'  than  he  did." 

The  little  face  was  grave  at  the  remembrance. 

"Say,  did  you  ever  pray  to  God  an'  get  an  answer 
right  away?  Well,  I  did.  That  night,  Mother  was 
worse  with  the  worry  and  Dad  was  so  blue  he  just 
couldn't  eat.  So  before  ,1  went  to  bed,  I  just  told  God  all 
about  it  and  prayed  and  prayed  that  he  would  send  some 
one  to  nurse  Mother ;  and  then,  in  the  morning,  just  after 
breakfast,  I  saw  you  coming  with  Mrs.  Dalrymple." 

"And  you  think  God  sent  me,  do  you,  Dick  ?"  and  Mar- 
jorie's  eyes  were  moist  and  her  face  was  very  solemn. 

"Sure!"  Dick  nodded;  "I  just  know  he  did." 

"I  hope  he  did,  Dicky  dear,"  said  Marjorie  earnestly 
after  a  moment's  pause;  "for  if  so,  it  takes  a  heavy  load 
off  my  heart.  When  you're  as  old  as  I  am,  you'll  know 
how  hard  it  is  sometimes  to  tell  just  what  God  wants 
us  to  do." 

And  they  picked  up  the  fish  and  went  off  home. 


CHAPTEK  X 

To  walk  together  to  the  TcirTc 

And  all  together  pray; 
While  each  to  his  great  Father  bend* 
Old  men  and  ~bdbes,  and  loving  friends, 

And  youths  and  maidens  gay. 

COLERIDGE. 

0N"  the  morning  of  the  Sunday  following  that  of  the 
fishing  excursion,  Marjorie  and  Dick  set  off  afoot  to 
attend  service  at  the  Brayton  church. 

The  Boltons,  Marjorie  had  discovered,  had  fallen  out 
of  the  way  of  going  to  church  altogether.  It  was  two 
miles  to  Brayton  and  service  was  only  held  fortnightly 
by  a  minister  who  had  his  headquarters  at  Portlake  and 
who  preached  at  three  different  places.  He  was  a  Pres- 
byterian and  perhaps  this  was  the  reason,  as  the  Boltons 
were  Church  of  England,  that  they  had  never  attended 
the  services  at  Brayton.  Marjorie  was  an  Anglican  too; 
but  she  was  not  so  narrow  in  her  creed  but  that  she  felt 
that  it  was  her  duty  in  the  absence  of  a  church  of  her  own 
denomination  to  attend  the  best  that  was  available.  Be- 
sides she  had  become  quite  fond  of  the  Presbyterian  service 
when  she  had  lived  in  Scotland. 

The  morning  was  a  delightful  one.  Dew  sparkled  upon 
everything,  upon  the  soft  grass  underfoot,  upon  the  bracken 
shooting  up  in  rank  luxuriance  on  either  side  of  the  trail, 
upon  the  velvety  sides  of  moss-covered  logs  that,  here  and 
there,  thrust  themselves  out  through  the  brush  and  upon 

64 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    65 

the  delicate  leaves  of  the  alders  shimmering  in  the  morn- 
ing sunlight.  Blue-jays  chattered  and  squawked  overhead 
and  squirrels  twittered  as  they  peeped  out  with  bright, 
inquisitive  eyes  at  the  two  passers-by.  The  air  was  full 
of  dewy  freshness  and  aromatic  with  the  scent  of  pine 
and  cedar  filling  the  lungs  like  some  elixir  that  was  as 
different  from  ordinary  air  as  wine  is  from  water. 

Sad  to  tell,  however,  Marjorie's  spirits,  in  spite  of  all 
the  glory  and  the  freshness  of  the  summer  morning,  were 
strangely  out  of  harmony  with  it.  There  were  still  times 
when  homesickness  weighed  heavily  upon  her.  She  could 
not  but  miss  y,ery  keenly  her  circle  of  girlhood  friends 
and  she  even  found  herself  thinking  tenderly  of  Wilfrid, 
her  erstwhile  fiance  and  the  playmate  of  her  childhood. 
It  was  in  the  latter  role  rather  than  in  the  former,  which 
had  been  forced  upon  her  solely  by  Lady  Angleside's 
machinations,  that  she  liked  to  think  of  him;  and  she 
bore  him  no  ill-will  for  the  part  he  had  played  in  it. 
Nay,  her  conscience  often  troubled  her  as  to  whether  she 
had  done  right  to  run  away  and  leave  him  as  she  had ;  and 
she  wondered  whether  after  all,  Lady  Angleside  had  been 
so  mistaken  in  thinking  the  match  so  highly  desirable. 

Loneliness  and  hardships  are  stern  taskmasters  to  whip 
the  rebellious  spirit  into  line  and,  truth  to  tell,  the  lot  she 
had  escaped  did  not  at  times  seem  quite  so  intolerable 
from  the  distance  of  the  British  Columbia  forest  as  it 
had  from  the  luxurious  security  of  Mayfair.  To  one 
brought  up  as  Marjorie  had  been,  her  life  with  the  Boltons, 
while  it  entailed  no  real  hunger  or  suffering,  yet  involved 
much  that  was  distasteful  and  uncongenial  to  say  the 
least  of  it.  Mrs.  Bolton's  sickness  on  her  arrival  had  made 
it  necessary  for  her  to  take  the  most  of  the  drudgery 
of  the  household  on  her  shoulders  and  to  one  unaccus- 
tomed to  it,  this  was  no  light  task.  Besides  the  cooking 


66    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

and  dish-washing,  there  was  the  milk  to  be  cared  for  and 
twice  a  week  the  butter  to  be  churned.  Many  and  ludi- 
crous, at  first,  had  been  the  mistakes  she  made,  but  she 
was  borne  up  by  the  urgency  of  the  emergency  and  had 
met  the  situation  with  a  pluck  and  good-humour  that  had 
won  Dick's  love  and  admiration  as  well  as  his  parents' 
undying  gratitude.  The  first  bread  she  had  tried  to 
bake  had  been  uneatable  and  for  a  few  days  they  had  all 
nearly  starved;  but  before  Mrs.  Bolton  was  on  her  feet 
again,  Marjorie  had  fairly  well  mastered  the  ordinary 
routine  of  the  household. 

Mrs.  Bolton  was  still  far  from  strong  and  Marjorie 
had  considered  it  a  point  of  honour  to  bear  a  fair  share 
of  the  work  even  although  the  good  woman  often  pro- 
tested against  it. 

This  morning  things  in  general  seemed  to  have  got 
upon  her  nerves.  Life  seemed  to  be  lacking  in  variety 
and  the  sordidness  of  the  little  tasks  that  now  occupied 
her  time  seemed  to  have  suddenly  forced  itself  upon  her 
with  an  increased  potency.  There  were  times  when  even 
the  unpleasantness  of  having  to  sit  at  the  table  without  a 
napkin  and  to  dispense  altogether  with  such  a  superfluity 
as  butter-knives  assumed  a  magnitude  of  importance  to  her 
irritated  sensibilities  which  she  felt  was  altogether  out  of 
perspective  with  the  real  triviality  of  the  annoyance.  At 
such  times,  however,  it  seemed  impossible  at  the  moment 
by  her  own  volition  to  restore  her  perceptions  to  a  proper 
focus.  It  was  to  her  credit,  nevertheless,  that  no  matter 
how  depressed  her  mood  might  be  she  forced  herself  to 
counterfeit  cheerfulness  so  that  the  rest  of  the  household 
might  not  suffer.  Had  there  been  only  herself  to  con- 
sider, she  would  not,  feeling  as  she  did,  have  gone  to 
church  at  all  that  morning ;  but  Dick  was  looking  forward 
to  it  and  she  would  not  disappoint  him.  It  was  to  be  a 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    67 

special  service  as  Dr.  Ritchie  from  Vancouver  was  to 
preach  and  there  was  likely  to  be  an  unusually  large  at- 
tendance to  hear  the  city  minister. 

But  if  Marjorie's  spirits  were  low,  there  was  no  doubt 
about  the  exuberance  of  Dick's.  However  environment 
might  have  tended  to  restrain  and  to  repress  in  him  the 
care-free  joy  of  childhood,  it  bubbled  out  of  him  in  re- 
sponse to  the  slightest  favourable  influence.  The  novelty 
of  the  experience  before  him  and  the  pleasure  of  Mar- 
jorie's company  was  enough  to  put  a  brighter  sparkle  in 
his  hazel  eyes  and  an  extra  spring  into  his  step,  so  that 
as  he  walked  along  he  seemed  to  be  prancing  like  a  cavalry 
charger  to  the  music  of  the  band. 

No  doubt,  part  of  the  exhilaration  was  due  to  the 
grandeur  of  his  new  suit,  a  gift  from  Marjorie  pur- 
chased ready-made  from  the  village  store;  and  indeed, 
in  the  neat  Oxford  jacket  and  knickerbockers,  Dick  looked 
quite  a  different  boy  from  the  barefooted  urchin  of  the 
faded  khaki  overalls.  He  was  proud  of  his  finery  and  in 
the  knowledge  that  to-day,  at  least,  he  reflected  no  discredit 
on  Marjorie.  The  latter  had  herself  donned  one  of  her 
prettiest  dresses,  a  Bond  Street  creation,  had  Dick  only 
known  it,  of  a  navy-blue  trim-cut  to  the  figure  and  gar- 
nished with  rows  of  bright  silver  buttons.  Her  police- 
man's suit,  Wilfrid  had  named  it,  when  she  first  put  it  on, 
and  Marjorie  had  chosen  it  to-day  as  being  appropriate  for 
the  long  walk  through  the  woodland  trail. 

"Gee !  I  wish  it  was  always  Sunday,"  said  Dick  with  a 
burst  of  enthusiasm,  "and  then  there  wouldn't  be  any 
school  an'  Dad  wouldn't  ever  have  to  work.  I  s'pose 
that's  what  heaven'll  be  like,  Marjorie,  won't  it?  Nothin' 
to  worry  or  fret  about." 

"I  daresay  it  will,  Dick,"  assented  Marjorie  somewhat 


68    THe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

at  a  loss.  There  were  times  when  she  found  Dick's  ques- 
tions were  almost  too  much  for  her. 

"You  know,  Mother  says  that  there'll  be  streets  paved 
with  gold  and  we'll  all  wear  golden  crowns  and  sit  among 
the  angels  a-playing  harps  and  singing  hymns  for  ever  an* 
ever,"  he  went  on  earnestly;  "but  somehow  it  don't  just 
seem  real-like  to  me.  I'd  ruther  it  was  just  in  the  woods 
like  or  in  some  ordinary  town  an'  I  don't  think  J  could 
stand  singing  hymns  all  the  time.  You  know  the  hymn 
you  sang  last  Sunday  night  about  the  'robes  of  white 
and  crowns  of  glory:'  everybody  going  round  in  sort  of 
nighties  and  wearing  golden  crowns.  Seems  kind  of 
funny,  doesn't  it  ?  'Tain't  real-like,  is  it  now  ?  When  I 
asked  Mother  about  it,  she  was  kind  of  puzzled  herself 
an'  said  as  how  she  wasn't  sure  as  she  would  be  comfort- 
able doin'  nothing  but  singing  hymns  all  the  time,  in 
all  that  grandeur.  It  didn't  seem  natural  for  hard-work- 
ing folk  like  her,  she  said." 

Marjorie  pondered  for  a  space  before  replying.  It  is 
hard  to  choose  words  fitted  to  a  child's  mind  on  subjects 
such  as  these  just  as  it  is  hard  to  adjust  one's  ideas  so 
that  they  harmonise  with  the  childish  viewpoint. 

"!NTo,  Dicky,"  she  said  earnestly  at  last,  "we  have  given 
up  that  old  idea  of  Heaven — we  have  out-grown  it  now 
although  we  still  sing  about  it  in  some  of  the  hymns.  We 
think  of  it  as  a  place  for  greater  service,  greater  chances  to 
do  good.  We  must  serve  Jesus  here  and  then,  when  we 
are  called  up  there,  we  have  just  to  continue  in  the  good 
work.  That  is  the  only  true  happiness,  just  to  know  that 
we  are  doing  something,"  and  Marjorie  smiled  brightly 
down  at  the  boy  in  spite  of  the  heaviness  at  her  heart. 
Hers  was  a  personality  that  seemed  to  radiate  sympathy 
and  this  formed  a  great  part  of  her  charm.  "No  matter 
whom  it  might  be  she  was  talking  to,  friend  or  servant 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    69 

or  some  chance  acquaintance  maybe  by  the  wayside,  or  in 
a  railway  train,  there  was  a  graciousness  in  her  manner, 
a  suggestion  of  interest  kindly  and  sincere,  reaching  out 
and  enveloping  the  person  she  was  speaking  to  that  rarely 
failed  to  kindle  a  pleasant  warmth  of  satisfaction  in  the 
object  of  it. 

Dick  appreciated  the  honour  of  having  his  remarks  taken 
seriously  but  boylike  he  was  shy  of  a  discussion  dealing 
with  matters  of  religion.  Homilies  such  as  Marjorie's 
for  small  boys'  ears  most  often  seem  to  fall  on  stony 
ground ;  for  the  urchin,  the  more  he  is  impressed  the  more1 
likely  he  will  be  to  change  the  subject  with  a  suddenness 
as  baffling  as  it  is  disconcerting. 

This  was  what  Dick  did  now,  although  Marjorie's  words 
had  really  moved  him,  recognising  as  perhaps  he  did 
that  here  was  the  secret  of  her  sunny  helpfulness,  her  un- 
selfish consideration  for  others. 

"I  wonder  if  Mr.  Leicester  will  be  there  to-day?"  he 
remarked  as  he  picked  up  a  stone  and  shied  it  at  a  too 
noisy  blue-jay  that  was  airing  its  opinions  from  a  hemlock 
in  front  of  them. 

"I — I'm  sure  I  hope  not,"  said  Marjorie  in  a  slight 
accent  of  vexation.  "He  seems  to  be  everywhere  one  goes ;" 
but  she  was  ashamed  of  herself  for  her  pettishness.  After 
all,  there  was  only  one  house  of  worship  available  and  it 
was  rather  hard  to  deny  him  attendance  at  it  just  for  the 
sake  of  her  prejudices.  She  found  it  rather  hard  to 
justify  her  dislike  for  him;  but  there  it  was  and  it  is  a 
woman's  privilege  to  submit  herself  to  the  guidance  of  her 
intuitions.  All  the  same,  she  felt  reproved  by  Dick's 
silence  which  he  only  broke  by  again  changing  the  sub- 
ject. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  little  wooden  church  whicK 
lay  not  far  from  the  store  at  the  corner  of  two  roads,  there 


7O    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

were  a  number  of  teams  tied  up  before  the  door  or 

* 

the  fence;  and  Marjorie's  apprehensions  were  justified 
for  Mr.  Leicester's  was  one  of  them.  A  number  of  people 
were  clustered  around  chatting  with  one  another  waiting 
until  it  was  time  for  service  to  begin;  but  Marjorie  and 
Dick  passed  inside  without  lingering. 

To  Marjorie,  accustomed  to  the  beautiful,  harmonious 
interiors  of  the  English  country  churches  with  their  dim, 
religious  light  transfused  by  richly-coloured  stained-glass 
windows,  the  bald  room  with  its  plain  wooden  benches 
and  bare  plastered  walls,  its  rude  reading-desk  which  was 
all  that  answered  for  a  pulpit  and  its  three  square  windows 
of  plain  glass  on  either  side  and  one  at  the  end,  came  with 
something  of  a  sense  of  shock.  The  outside  with  its 
white  painted  walls  unrelieved  by  ornament  of  any  kind 
except  for  the  rude  Gothic  spire  that  served,  at  least  to 
indicate  the  nature  of  the  building,  was  crude  enough ;  but 
it  had  not  prepared  her  for  an  interior  so  absolutely  de- 
void of  all  those  aesthetic  influences  that  help  to  produce 
a  religious  atmosphere  about  the  worshipper.  The  only 
touch  of  brightness  in  the  whole  place  was  a  large  bouquet 
of  roses  in  a  vase  on  the  top  of  the  organ  that  stood  to 
one  side  of  the  reading  desk. 

Mr.  Leicester  stood  talking  to  two  men  on  the  other 
side  of  it.  One  of  them  was  tall  and  distinguished-looking, 
his  partially  bald  head  emphasising  the  high,  intellectual 
forehead  and  prominent,  clean-cut  features  and  it  did  not 
need  the  clerical  costume  to  proclaim  him  to  Marjorie  as 
the  minister  from  the  city.  The  other  man  in  an  ordinary 
tweed  suit,  Dick  whispered,  was  Mr.  Bigby,  the  local 
clergyman.  Mr.  Leicester's  face  was  turned  towards  the 
door  and  as  Marjorie  walked  up  the  aisle,  he  smiled  to  her 
and  then  turned  to  say  something  to  Mr.  Rigby.  !  The 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     71 

latter  then  looked  at  her,  too,  and  it  seemed  that  it  was 
of  her  that  they  were  speaking. 

She  knelt  for  a  moment  before  taking  her  seat  and 
when  she  rose  from  her  knees,  she  was  surprised  to  see 
Mr.  Rigby  come  down  the  aisle  towards  her. 

"You  are  Miss  Coon,  are  you  not?"  he  said  with  a 
pleasant  smile,  holding  out  his  hand.  "Mr.  Leicester  was 
just  telling  me  that  you  have  lately  arrived  from  England 
and  he  suggested  that  you  might  be  able  to  help  us  out, 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  are  in  rather  a  difficulty  to-day. 
Our  organist  is  sick  and  I  have  only  just  found  out,  so 
that  I  was  not  able  to  get  a  substitute.  Do  you  think 
that  you  could  possibly  manage  to  fill  the  breach  for  us  ? 
This  is  a  special  service  we  are  having,"  he  went  on  eagerly 
as  Marjorie  hesitated;  "and  I  was  particularly  anxious 
that  it  would  go  off  well.  It  would  be  too  bad  if  it  was 
spoilt  for  want  of  an  organist,  wouldn't  it?"  and  he 
smiled  persuasively. 

"I  shall  be  very  glad,"  said  Marjorie,  her  hesitation 
yielding  before  the  earnestness  of  his  appeal.  "I  have 
played  in  a  church  before,  so  I  daresay  I  shall  manage  all 
right." 

"Oh,  thank  you  so  much,"  he  said  greatly  relieved.  "I 
wonder — "  he  hesitated,  "I  wonder  if  you  could  possibly 
sing  us  a  solo — it  helps  so  much.  There  was  a  man  from 
Portlake,  a  tenor  that  I  hoped  would  come  but  he  has  dis- 
appointed me — went  fishing  instead,  I'm  afraid.  Almost 
anything  would  do,  indeed  the  simpler  the  better.  We 
are  hardly  educated  up  to  some  of  the  things  they  have  in 
the  city  churches — vocal  gymnastics,  I  call  them,  nothing 
to  carry  the  soul  above  on  wings  of  song,  as  it  were — 
but  I'm  sure  that  we  would  appreciate  anything  that  you 
would  give  us." 

Marjorie  looked  around  at  the  congregation,  about  forty 


72    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

perhaps  there  were,  of  all  ages.  The  men,  stolid-looking 
and  uncouth,  feeling  awkward  in  their  Sunday  clothes; 
the  women  most  of  them  careworn,  their  faces  lined  with 
the  unceasing  struggle  to  make  both  ends  meet ;  but  on  all 
was  the  look  of  health  and  on  most  the  peace  that  goes  with 
a  clear  conscience  and  the  knowledge  of  a  useful  life.  They 
had  come  there  to  get  away  for  a  short  time  from  the 
monotonous  grind  of  their  daily  toil,  to  be  lifted  if  possible 
out  of  the  grim  realism  of  it  and  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  a 
higher  and  purer  life,  of  a  promised  land  which  some  day 
they  might  hope  to  enter  upon.  Not  for  them,  she 
thought,  the  inspiration  of  noble  architecture,  triumphs  in 
stone  wrought  by  the  labour  of  many  hands  under  the  con- 
trolling direction  of  master  minds  dedicated  to  the  great 
task  of  building  a  house  worthy  for  men  to  worship  God  in ; 
not  for  them  the  beauties  of  costly  carving  and  rich  altar- 
cloths  nor  the  exquisite  harmonies  of  vested  choirs  and 
pealing  organs  to  wean  the  mind  away  from  worldly 
thoughts.  Only  this  crude  edifice  hurriedly  thrown  to- 
gether at  some  sacrifice  by  the  common  labour  of  all, 
and  set  on  the  skirts  of  the  forest,  yet  being  their  very 
own  it  was,  perhaps,  as  dear  to  them  as  any  lofty-spired 
cathedral  to  its  European  worshippers.  Here,  in  this  little 
band  of  folks  gathered  together  before  her,  was  a  faith 
strong  enough  to  do  without  these  aesthetic  externals  that 
to  Marjorie  had  seemed  such  a  necessary  part  of  her  re- 
ligion. She  was  filled  with  a  new  humility  as  she  looked 
at  them  and  she  hastened  to  assent  to  Mr.  Bigby's  re- 
quest. 

"I  shall  try,  then,"  she  said.  "When  do  you  want  it  ?" 
she  asked  when  he  had  thanked  her. 

"Oh,  after  the  collection,"  he  replied.  "Perhaps  you 
would  take  your  place  at  the  organ  now.  Our  choir  is 
a  very  small  one  and  I  shall  introduce  you.  I  am  afraid 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    73 

they  have  not  come  in  yet,"  he  said  frowning  a  little  as 
he  walked  rapidly  over  to  the  window,  where  he  beckoned 
to  a  group  of  young  people  outside. 

nThey  are  inclined  to  be  a  little  thoughtless  at  times," 
he  remarked  with  a  smile  when  he  returned;  "but  they 
are  a  faithful  little  band  all  the  same  and  don't  often  dis- 
appoint me.  Here  they  are  now,"  he  said  as  four  girls 
and  three  men  entered  and  came  towards  them,  the  former 
giggling  and  whispering  and  the  latter  looking  rather 
solemn  and  self-conscious  as  if  feeling  themselves  under 
the  critical  eye  of  the  congregation. 

When  Marjorie  had  been  introduced  to  them  all,  they 
went  up  to  the  organ  and  Mr.  Eigby  began  the  service  with 
the  singing  of  a  hymn.  The  organ  had  been  a  gift  from  a 
city  church  that  had  got  a  bigger  one  and  it  was  much 
better  than  is  usually  found  in  a  country  church.  Instead 
of  being  equipped  with  the  ordinary  pedals,  it  was  blown 
from  the  side  by  a  small  boy  who  worked  a  handle  up  and 
down.  The  lower  part  of  him  was  hidden  from  view  and 
it  was  sometimes  rather  startling  to  a  stranger  to  see  his 
head  bobbing  up  and  down  as  if  somebody  was  having  a 
fit.  However,  the  regular  worshippers  were  used  to  the 
phenomenon  and,  of  course,  thought  nothing  of  it.  The 
choir  sang  with  much  spirit  and  goodwill  if,  at  certain 
parts,  the  time  was  ragged  and  the  tenors  out  of  tune ;  and 
Marjorie  experienced  no  difficulty  with  the  simple  accom- 
paniments. She  found  a  pleasure  in  playing  and  it  was 
good  to  feel  the  keys  under  her  fingers  again.  She  had 
not  had  a  chance  to  play  since  coming  to  the  district.  Only 
she  missed  the  beautiful  liturgy  of  her  own  church. 

After  the  collection  had  been  taken  up,  Mr.  Rigby  turned 
round  to  her  and  smiled,  and  she  saw  that  she  would  have 
to  carry  out  her  promise.  She  felt  nervous  about  it  as 
she  would  have  to  play  her  own  accompaniment;  and 


74    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

she  was  doubtful  whether,  when  sitting  down,  her  voice 
would  be  sufficiently  powerful.  She  had  often  sung  in 
the  village  church  at  home;  but  this  was  an  ordeal  very 
different  and  for  a  moment  she  had  a  touch  of  stage-fright. 
The  people  were  nearly  all  strange  to  her  and  she  to  them 
and,  for  a  brief  space,  their  presence  sitting  there  waiting, 
seemed  to  awe  and  unnerve  her.  It  was  with  faltering 
fingers  that  she  struck  the  opening  notes  of  the  accom- 
paniment of  "There  Is  a  Green  Hill  Far  Away,"  to 
Gounod's  beautiful  setting  and  her  voice  trembled  as  she 
started  to  sing.  She  had  chosen  this  as  it  was  one  of  her 
favourites.  For  the  devotional  tenderness  and  simplicity 
of  the  words  recalling  the  supreme  sacrifice  of  Calvary  as 
well  as  for  the  exquisite  harmony  of  the  setting,  she  felt  it 
was  most  likely  to  appeal  to  the  tastes  of  those  present. 
After  all,  she  was  thinking,  what  need  of  noble  edifice 
of  stone  or  rich  carvings  within  when  such  had  been  the 
humble  origin  of  the  faith  they  followed.  After  the  first 
few  notes,  all  timidity  vanished  and  her  voice  rang  out 
clear  and  confident,  vibrant  with  sympathy  for  the  theme, 
touching  the  hearts  of  the  audience  with  a  sense  of  joy 
and  peace.  They  listened,  even  the  little  children,  as  if 
spellbound;  and  when  the  singer  had  sung  the  last  few 
lines : 

"And  we  must  love  "him,  too, 

And  trust  in  his  redeeming  love, 

And  try  his  worlcs  to  do," 

there  was  a  distinct  hush  for  a  space  all  over  the  room. 
For  Marjorie,  there  was  no  longer  any  feeling  that  she 
was  an  alien  among  strangers,  that  these  people  before  her 
had  no  common  interest  in  her ;  but  she  felt  drawn  to  them 
by  the  bond  of  a  common  faith  and  a  common  Saviour. 
After  the  uplift  of  the  music,  it  came  almost  with  a 
sense  of  shock,  of  coming  down  to  earth  again  after  a  celes- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    75 

tial  sojourn  when  Dr.  Ritchie  gave  out  the  text  for  his  ser- 
mon; yet  it  was  not  long  before  the  speaker  with  his 
expressive,  resonant  voice  and  his  earnest  and  impassioned 
delivery,  carried  his  hearers  up  again.  His  was  a  common 
enough  theme.  He  based  it  upon  the  story  of  the  Apostle 
Paul's  imprisonment,  showing  how  our  apparent  misfor- 
tunes and  limitations  are  really  often  the  means  of  our 
greatest  success,  often  the  stepping-stones  to  our  highest 
usefulness.  Paul's  misfortune  brought  him  to  Rome  where 
in  spite  of  his  bonds,  he  was  enabled  to  preach  the  gospel 
and  to  such  purpose,  that  the  range  of  his  converts  reached 
even  to  the  household  of  Ca3sar  himself.  So  it  was  with 
many  of  us,  the  preacher  argued.  Our  dearest  plans  were 
frustrated,  our  choicest  hopes  disappointed  and  yet  often 
on  looking  back  we  were  able  to  see  that  what  we  had 
regarded  as  our  greatest  afflictions  had  been  often  really 
blessings  in  disguise,  had  really  ministered  to  our  ulti- 
mate good. 

It  was  a  simple  and  yet  an  eloquent  sermon  rich  in  apt 
illustration  and  full  of  optimism  and  encouragement  and 
Marjorie  was  wonderfully  cheered  by  it.  She  felt  that 
her  depression  of  the  morning  had  lifted  and  a  new  feeling 
of  peace  and  contentment  had  come  in  its  place. 

At  the  close  of  the  service,  Mr.  Rigby  was  lavish  in 
his  expressions  of  thanks;  and  hastened  to  introduce  her 
to  Dr.  Ritchie  who  was  warm  in  his  praises  of  her  singing. 
The  words  of  appreciation  were  pleasant  to  her  and  she 
walked  down  the  aisle  and  out  the  front  door  with  the 
latter  chatting  as  they  went.  Here  they  found  Mr.  Leices- 
ter and  Dick  standing  by  the  democrat  waiting.  It  had 
been  arranged  that  Dr.  Ritchie  was  to  dine  with  the 
former  and  he  had  the  horses  untied  ready  to  go. 

When  Keith  saw  Marjorie  coming  towards  him,  he  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  embarrassment  as  he  did  not  know 


76    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

on  what  footing  their  acquaintanceship  stood.  When  they 
had  parted  a  week  ago,  she  had  snubbed  him  unmistakably ; 
but  under  the  circumstances,  he  was  quite  willing  to  over- 
look it.  There  was  something  about  the  girl  that  had 
appealed  to  him  and  the  feeling  had  not  been  lessened  by 
her  performance  during  the  service.  He  was  passionately 
fond  of  music  and  perhaps  no  one  in  the  church  had  en- 
joyed her  solo  more  than  he.  He  lifted  his  hat  and  his 
first  impulse  was  to  shake  hands ;  but  he  was  afraid  of 
being  repulsed  and  the  movement  was  arrested  almost  ere 
it  was  begun.  Marjorie  herself  was  ill  at  ease.  She  had 
quite  forgiven  him  for  his  presumption  of  a  week  past; 
but,  remembering  the  position  she  was  supposed  to  oc- 
cupy in  the  Bolton  household,  her  pride  was  sensitive  and 
here,  before  a  third  party,  she  was  doubtful  as  to  how  he 
would  act  towards  her.  First  impressions  are  often  hard 
to  get  rid  of  and  hers  had  been  that  Mr.  Leicester  was  a 
snob.  She  had  been  inclined  to  revise  this  estimate  after 
their  meeting  at  the  creek  but  still  she  was  not  sure.  She 
felt  now  that  this  meeting  in  the  presence  of  the  city 
minister  would  put  him  to  the  test. 

On  the  alert,  therefore,  as  she  was  for  any  sign  of 
condenscension,  it  was  not  surprising  that  when  she  no- 
ticed the  awkwardness  of  his  greeting  and  the  apparent 
constraint  of  his  manner,  she  should  judge  him  for  the 
worst.  She  only  bowed  to  him  stiffly,  therefore,  and  with 
a  smile  and  a  good-bye  to  Dr.  Ritchie,  she  turned  away. 

"Come  along,  Dick,"  she  said  to  the  boy  who  was  looking 
on  with  a  shade  of  disappointment  in  his  eyes.  He  had  no 
hankering  to  walk  all  the  way  home  when  there  was  a 
chance  to  ride  in  Mr.  Leicester's  democrat. 

"One  moment,  Miss  Coon,"  Keith  called  out,  however, 
not  as  yet  altogether  repulsed  by  her  chilling  reception  of 
him.  "We  shall  be  glad  to  drive  you  home  if  you  will  let 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     77 

us.  It  will  not  take  us  far  out  of  our  way,  and  I  am  sure 
that  Dr.  Ritchie  is  not  very  hungry." 

Had  Marjorie  had  a  moment  or  two  in  which  to  reflect 
or  had  she  been  mistress  of  herself  as  on  ordinary  occa- 
sions, she  would  probably  have  accepted;  but  she  had  to 
answer  at  once  and  she  was  extremely  embarrassed.  So, 
she  turned  around  to  face  the  speaker,  blushing  painfully. 

"Thank  you  very  much,  indeed,"  she  said  somewhat 
coldly  in  her  cultured  English  accent,  "but  Dickie  and  I 
would  prefer  to  walk.  It  is  very  kind  of  you  all  the 
same." 

Poor  Dick  was  about  to  open  his  mouth  to  voice  his 
protest;  but  when  Keith  lifted  his  hat  and  bowed  in  ac- 
quiescence, he  changed  his  mind  and  trotted  somewhat 
ruefully  after  Marjorie. 

"She  is  a  charming  young  lady  that,"  said  Dr.  Ritchie 
as  he  climbed  into  the  wagon  after  his  host ;  "and  she  has 
&  beautiful  voice.  She  must  be  fond  of  walking  surely 
if  she  has  far  to  go." 

But  Keith  answered  him  without  enthusiasm  and  quickly 
changed  the  subject.  He  was  annoyed  at  his  own  gauche- 
rie  and  he  was  incensed  at  Miss  Coon's  ungraciousness; 
and  it  required  of  him  a  very  considerable  effort  to 
throw  off  his  preoccupation  and  make  himself  agreeable  to 
his  guest. 


CHAPTEE  XI 

COMTJS.  ...  I  can  conduct  you,  Lady,  to  a  low 
But  loyal  cottage  where  you  may  be  safe 
Till  further  quest. 

LADY  Shepherd,  I  talce  thy  word, 

And  trust  thy  honest-offer'd  courtesie, 
Which  oft  is  sooner  found  in  lowly  sheds, 
With  smoaTcy  rafters,  than  in  tapstry  halls. 

MILTON. 

ONE  afternoon  a  few  days  after  the  service  at  Brayton, 
Marjorie  had  volunteered  to  fetch  a  setting  of  Plymouth 
Rock  eggs  for  Mrs.  Bolton  from  a  Mrs.  Dickson  who  had 
some  prize  poultry  on  a  small  place  some  three  miles 
away.  It  lay  only  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant  in  a 
straight  line  but  there  was  a  mountain  between  and  one 
had  to  take  a  roundabout  road  to  get  to  it.  There  was  a 
trail  through  the  woods  that  skirted  the  eastern  shoulder 
of  the  mountain;  but,  although  Marjorie  had  been  over 
it  once  with  Dick  on  one  of  the  long  walks  they  often 
took  together,  Mrs.  Bolton  had  advised  her  to  go  round 
by  the  road  rather  than  risk  losing  her  way  in  the  bush. 

It  was  a  long,  hot  walk  and  on  her  arrival  at  her 
destination,  Mrs.  Dickson  insisted  on  showing  her  all 
her  fowls  and  the  excellently-planned  domestic  arrange- 
ments that  had  been  made  for  them.  The  good  lady  was 
an  enthusiast  on  the  poultry  business  and  seemed  to  enjoy 
extremely  expounding  her  up-to-date  methods  to  Mar- 
jorie, who  was  too  good-natured  not  to  show  herself  a  sym- 
pathetic listener.  Indeed,  Marjorie  did  find  it  interesting 

.78 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     79 

and  it  was  quite  a  revelation  to  her  to  see  how  methodically 
everything  was  arranged  and  how  carefully  Mrs.  Dickson 
managed  to  keep  check  on  the  productive  activities  of  each 
individual  bird.  By  an  ingenious  arrangement,  the  nests 
were  so  contrived  that  the  hens  could  enter  them  at  will; 
but  once  in,  they  could  not  get  out  again  until  released  by 
their  mistress.  Each  hen  was  marked  with  a  number  and, 
on  being  released  after  having  laid,  the  egg  was  marked 
down  to  its  credit  in  a  book  kept  for  the  purpose.  So,  the  un- 
profitable birds  were  discovered  and  sent  to  the  butcher 
while  the  good  layers  were  retained. 

"I  should  think  that  the  hen  would  be  inclined  to  re- 
sent such  an  inquisitive  arrangement,"  said  Marjorie 
smiling :  "and  that  it  would  either  refuse  to  enter  the  nests 
at  all  and  lay  outside  or  that,  just  to  spite  you,  it  would 
lay  fewer  eggs." 

"Oh,  bless  your  heart,  miss,  they  never  resent  nothing 
hens  don't,"  answered  Mrs.  Dickson  contemptuously. 
"They  hain't  got  brains  enough  to  think  it  out.  So  long 
as  they  gets  their  vittles,  that's  all  they  care  about.  Now 
if  it  was  turkeys,  I  wouldn't  be  so  sure.  I  had  a  turkey 
gobbler  here  last  year  that,  when  he  was  around,  I  didn't 
dare  to  call  my  soul  my  own.  If  he  wasn't  the  knowingest 
thing!" 

"Was  he  vicious  ?"  asked  Marjorie  as  her  hostess  turned 
to  shoo  away  a  flock  of  young  ducks  that  with  outstretched 
necks  were  following  her  in  the  hope  that  suppertime  had 
come  around. 

"Vicious !  Well,  I  should  say,"  she  exclaimed  emphati- 
cally. "I  daren't  come  into  the  yard  with  him,  the  brute 
would  fly  at  me  so.  I  used  to  take  a  stick  with  me  and 
wallop  him  with  all  my  strength;  but  he  simply  didn't 
seem  to  feel  it  though  he  must  have  been  sore.  No,  life 
wasn't  worth  living  with  him  around,  so  he  simply  had 


8o    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

to  go.  Al — that's  my  husband" — and  here  the  good 
lady  laughed  with  evident  enjoyment — "Al  used  to  josh 
me  an'  say  that  that  old  gobbler  was  the  only  one  that 
had  ever  been  able  to  get  the  best  of  me  and  he,  for  one, 
took  off  his  hat  to  him.  He  never  lets  it  down  on  me  yet. 
Ah,  well,  I  guess  the  old  bird  made  a  good  Christmas  din- 
ner for  somebody ;  but  if  he  hadn't  had  such  a  cantanker- 
ous disposition,  he  might  have  been  struttin'  around  here 
yet.  But  you  must  have  a  cup  of  tea  before  you  go." 

By  the  time  the  tea  had  been  made  and  disposed  of,  it 
was  after  four  o'clock,  and  as  it  was  so  late,  Mrs.  Dickson 
suggested  that  Marjorie  should  return  by  the  trail. 

"I'll  set  you  on  your  way  for  a  mile  or  so ;  an'  I  guess 
there  wouldn't  be  any  danger  of  you  missin'  it  then  if 
you've  been  over  it  once,"  she  declared.  "Besides  Al  said 
the  other  day  that  it  was  blazed  right  through — it  was 
when  Mr.  Rigby  was  here  and  he  sent  him  through  that 
way.  Quite  a  good  piece  of  it  is  skid-road  anyway." 

Marjorie  was  not  very  sure  about  it  but  she  was  loath 
to  go  back  the  way  she  had  come  if  the  short  cut  was 
practicable.  She  was  feeling  rather  tired  and  the  time  had 
passed  quicker  than  she  had  thought  so  that  it  would  make 
her  late  in  getting  home.  Therefore  she  accepted  the 
suggestion  and  Mrs.  Dickson's  offer  to  go  with  her  part  of 
the  way ;  and  the  two  set  off  together. 

The  first  part  of  the  way  led  over  a  skid-road  that  was 
being  used  for  hauling  out  shingle-bolts  to  the  river  and 
which  went  right  through  the  Dickson  place ;  and  they  had 
not  gone  far  before  they  met  a  man  driving  a  long,  wooden 
sleigh  loaded  up  with  them.  It  seemed  a  tremendous  weight 
for  the  two  horses  to  draw  but  the  skids  had  been  copiously 
greased  so  as  to  decrease  the  friction;  and  as  the  haul 
was  down  hill  as  well,  it  slid  along  with  a  great  deal  of 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    81 

creaking  and  groaning  but  much  more  easily  than  one 
might  have  expected. 

"Drat  them!  I  wish  they  were  through  with  their  old 
bolts/'  exclaimed  Mrs.  Dickson  angrily.  "I  had  to  let 
them  go  through  our  land  whether  we  wanted  to  or  no ;  an' 
all  the  compensation  they  would  pay  us  was  ten  dollars. 
Ten  dollars  for  all  that  muss  right  along  by  the  side  of 
my  chicken  yards!  Now,  what  do  you  think  of  that?" 
and  she  turned  round  to  frown  at  the  back  of  the  receding 
teamster. 

"But  couldn't  you  have  stopped  them  if  you  had  wanted 
to  ?"  asked  Marjorie. 

"Stopped  them,  no!"  Mrs.  Dickson  snapped  out.  "We 
eould  have  taken  it  to  arbitration  but  much  good  that 
would  have  done.  One  of  my  neighbours  tried  it  and  all 
the  compensation  the  arbitrators  allowed  her  was  three 
dollars  and  seventy-nine  cents — three  dollars  and  seventy- 
nine  cents !"  she  repeated  emphatically.  "How  they  worked 
it  out  so  close  as  that  beats  me !  And  mind  you,  they  had 
offered  her  twenty  dollars  to  settle  but  she  wouldn't  hear 
of  less  than  a  hundred.  They  got  costs  against  her  too 
and  it  took  her  more  than  a  hundred  herself  to  pay  the 
arbitrators  an'  the  lawyers  an'  all.  I  guess  she  felt  pretty 
sick  by  the  time  she  was  through  with  it.  Once  you  start 
to  go  to  law,  you  never  know  where  you're  going  to  end 
up. 

"But  it's  time  I  was  turning  back  to  get  my  man's  sup- 
per ready,"  she  broke  off.  "I  think  you  will  have  no 
trouble  now  to  find  the  way  if  you  just  watch  the  blaze- 
marks  on  the  trees.  Once  you  get  over  the  hill,  you  soon 
come  down  to  the  road  that  goes  up  to  Leicester's  place  and 
when  you  come  to  that  you're  all  right.  Just  walk  quietly 
and  watch  where  you're  going ;"  and  with  this  parting  word 


82    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

of  advice  she  bade  Marjorie  good-bye  and  turned  to  re- 
trace her  steps. 

For  a  considerable  way,  the  trail  was  fairly  well  marked 
and  the  girl  stepped  out  blithely  following  it  without 
difficulty  by  the  blazing  on  the  trees.  Occasionally  she 
would  have  to  climb  over  the  huge  trunk  of  a  fallen  giant 
in  the  side  of  which  a  foothold  had  been  cut  out  by  an 
axe.  All  round  her  was  the  silence  of  the  forest  with  its 
cloistered  light  filtered  through  the  thick  foliage  over- 
head. Under  foot  the  ground  was  soft  and  springy  with 
its  carpet  of  pineneedles  and  the  air  was  deliciously  cool 
and  fragrant. 

All  at  once,  however,  Marjorie  was  disturbed  in  her 
enjoyment  of  it  all  when  she  found  that  there  were  no  more 
blaze-marks  to  guide  her.  She  went  on  a  little  further 
thinking  always  that  she  would  strike  some  more  and  all 
would  be  well  but  still  there  were  none  to  be  seen.  She 
did  her  best  to  keep  in  the  same  direction  as  she  had  been 
heading  but  found  it  very  difficult  on  account  of  having 
to  go  around  fallen  trees. 

Getting  alarmed,  she  decided  to  turn  back  to  Mrs.  Dick- 
son's,  feeling  that  that  would  be  better  than  to  run  the  risk 
of  getting  lost  altogether;  but  to  her  dismay  she  found 
that  she  was  unable  to  pick  up  again  the  trail  that  she  had 
come  over.  However,  in  her  efforts  to  find  it,  she  came 
on  a  skid-road  and  she  followed  this  thinking  that  it  must 
bring  her  to  someone  who  could  set  her  on  her  way;  but 
it  ended  abruptly  at  a  pile  of  shingle-bolts.  Then  she 
started  out  to  find  the  other  end  only  to  find  after  about 
ten  minutes  walking  that  she  had  come  back  to  the  point 
she  had  started  from. 

Visions  of  having  to  spend  the  night  in  the  woods  now 
passed  through  her  mind  and  filled  her  with  a  numbing 
dread ;  and  the  forest  that  had  seemed  so  friendly  a  short 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     83 

time  before  now  assumed  a  drear  and  sinister  aspect. 
When  we  are  unused  to  dwell  with  Nature,  there  is  some- 
thing indescribably  dread  and  awful  to  be  left  alone  with 
her  against  our  will.  It  is  like  the  child  that  is  gleeful 
at  the  sight  of  the  circus  clown  when  his  elders  are  beside 
him  but  who  would  shriek  with  horror  if  left  with  him  in 
a  room  alone.  We  do  not  realise  how  far  we  city-dwellers 
have  passed  from  our  common  mother  till  we  find  our- 
selves in  some  such  predicament  as  that  of  Marjorie.  A 
faint  breeze  sighed  in  the  tree  tops  and  she  shivered  ever 
so  slightly  thinking  she  had  never  heard  it  sound  so  melan- 
choly. She  could  feel  her  heart  beating  wildly  in  her 
breast  and  she  tried  to  calm  the  panicky  sensation  that 
had  seized  hold  of  her  telling  herself  of  the  necessity  to 
keep  up  her  courage. 

She  sat  down  on  a  log  and  called  as  loudly  as  she  could 
— Dick  had  taught  her  the  Australian  coo'ee — but  only 
the  echo  came  back.  Her  sharpened  ears  detected  faint 
rustlings  and  twitterings  of  the  wild  life  whose  purlieus 
she  had  invaded — but  except  for  these  there  was  no 
answer  to  her  call.  She  looked  at  her  watch  and  saw  that 
it  was  six  o'clock;  and  she  thought  with  longing  of  the 
pleasant  supper  table  at  home  and  of  how  they  would  be 
beginning  to  worry  about  her.  No  doubt,  they  would  come 
to  look  for  her;  and  she  tried  to  laugh  away  her  fears, 
calling  herself  a  goose  for  being  afraid  when  there  was 
really  nothing  to  be  afraid  of.  There  were  occasional  bears 
in  these  woods,  she  was  aware  but  they  were  more  or 
less  harmless,  playing  havoc  with  the  farmers'  apple  trees 
in  fruit-time  but  that  was  all.  Sometimes  a  cougar  was 
shot  or  a  wild-cat  but  these  were  not  likely  to  attack  a 
woman.  It  was  rather  the  vague,  indeterminate  terrors  of 
the  darkness  that  she  feared;  or  two-footed  prowlers  per- 
haps that  might  take  advantage  of  her  helplessness. 


84    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

She  rose  to  her  feet  again  to  have  another  try  to  re- 
cover the  trail  and  wandered  around  until  she  was  weary ; 
but  she  only  became  more  bewildered  and  foot-sore  in  the 
maze-like  tangle.  The  underbrush  had  got  thicker  too  and 
she  found  it  much  more  difficult  to  move  around  in  it.  In 
her  eagerness,  she  had  grasped  the  branch  of  a  prickly 
plant  and  got  her  hand  full  of  the  sharp  thorns  and  it 
smarted  very  keenly.  At  last,  she  gave  it  up  and  de- 
cided to  stay  where  she  was  until  help  came.  She  had 
read  somewhere  that  when  anyone  was  lost  in  the  woods, 
the  best  thing  that  they  could  do  was  to  remain  where 
they  were ;  because,  when  they  wandered  around,  it  made 
it  doubly  hard  for  their  friends  to  find  them.  So  she  sat 
down  on  a  moss-covered  log  and  waited,  calling  out  as 
loudly  as  she  could,  however,  at  short  intervals.  A  chip- 
munk came  and  regarded  her  doubtfully  and  she  amused 
herself  by  watching  its  antics  until  growing  tired  evi- 
dently of  gamboling  for  her  amusement,  it  disappeared  at 
last  up  a  tree. 

How  long  would  it  be  she  wondered  before  Dicky  and 
Mr.  Bolton  would  come  to  look  for  her.  They  would 
probably  go  to  Mrs.  Dickson's  first  through  the  trail ;  and 
then  they  would  learn  that  she  had  taken  that  way  and 
must  have  got  lost.  By  that  time,  it  might  be  dark  and 
it  would  not  be  easy  penetrating  the  brush  by  lamplight. 
It  was  hard  enough  to  get  through  some  of  it  in  the  day- 
time as  she  had  found  from  experience. 

She  had  sat  what  had  seemed  hours,  although  in  reality 
it  was  not  so  long,  when  she  heard  a  faint  answer  to  one 
of  her  calls.  Eagerly  she  called  again,  and  again  she 
heard  it  plainly,  a  man's  voice  calling  halloo.  Without 
further  hesitation,  she  hurried  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  owner  of  the  voice 
came  in  sight;  an  old  man,  he  proved  to  be,  with  grey 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     85 

beard  and  whiskers  and  cheeks  ruddy  with  health  but 
crinkly  and  furrowed  as  with  long  years  of  exposure  to 
the  ripening  process  of  the  elements.  He  wore  overalls 
tucked  into  lumberman's  half-boots  and  a  black  shirt 
thrown  open  at  the  chest  and  throat;  and  a  black  felt 
Fedora  hat  all  twisted  and  out  of  shape  and  with  a  hole  in 
the  crown  through  which  a  grey  wisp  of  hair  protruded, 
completed  his  costume.  He  carried  an  axe  over  his  shoulder 
and  was  smoking  a  corn-cob  pipe,  which  he  pulled  from 
his  mouth  when  he  had  come  near  enough  to  Marjorie 
to  distinguish  her.  He  was  evidently  short-sighted  for 
he  screwed  up  his  features  making  them  more  crinkly  than 
ever  as  he  stared  in  evident  wonder  and  astonishment. 
His  first  words  proclaimed  his  nationality  as  well  as 
the  deep,  rich  brogue  in  which  they  were  uttered. 

"Begorra  thin  if  it  ain't  a  feymale!  Well  if  that 
don't  bate  creation  I'm  a  nigger !" 

"I've  lost  my  way,"  said  Marjorie  plaintively  seeing 
that  he  was  evidently  too  much  overcome  to  address  her. 
His  appearance  was  uncouth  enough  but  somehow  she  was 
reassured  by  the  sound  of  his  voice,  which  had  an  honest 
intonation  although  it  was  curiously  high-pitched. 

"Lost  your  way,  have  ye,  miss  ?  Shure  thin  it's  mesilf 
that's  sorry  to  hear  it,"  he  exclaimed  sympathetically,  tak- 
ing a  puff  at  the  corn-cob;  "but  ye  gave  me  quite  a  turn, 
hollerin'  the  way  ye  did  as  if  ye  were  the  banshee.  Divil 
a  fut  would  I  have  come  near  ye  if  it  hadn't  been  that  ye 
were  between  me  an'  my  supper.  But  which  way  were  ye 
goin',  miss  ?" 

"I  live  with  the  Boltons,"  Marjorie  replied;  "and  I 
have  been  over  at  Mrs.  Dickson's  and  she  advised  me  to 
take  the  trail  instead  of  going  all  the  way  round  by  the 
road.  Do  you  think  you  could  take  me  home?"  Her 


86    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

voice  was  trembling  a  little  and  she  was  beginning  to 
feel  a  slight  faintness. 

The  man  laid  down  his  axe  and  pushed  back  his  bat- 
tered hat  in  order  to  scratch  his  grizzled  locks  while  he 
regarded  his  questioner  with  a  puzzled  air. 

"You  see  I  was  to  have  been  home  long  ago,"  Marjorie 
went  on  anxiously;  "and  I  know  they  will  be  worrying 
about  me." 

"Bedad  thin  they  deserve  to  worry,  miss,  for  lettin' 
such  a  swate  bit  ov  a  colleen  as  yersilf  out  alone  in  the 
bush  like  this.  But  ye  nayd  n't  be  afraid  at  all  now  that 
I've  found  ye  for  I'll  take  ye  home  as  soon  as  we  can  get 
a  bit  ov  supper — but  not  a  minute  before,  so  ye  nayd  n't 
ask  me,"  he  added  as  Harjorie  opened  her  mouth  to 
speak.  "I've  a  little  cabin  close  by  and  you'll  be  as  safe 
takin'  supper  with  me  as  you  would  be  with  the  King 
of  Great  Britain  and  Oireland.  I  have  n't  had  a  hot 
bite  since  six  o'clock  this  mornin'  an'  not  for  the  old  Queen 
hersilf  wad  I  wait  another  hour  for  my  supper,  so  ye  can 
just  come  along  an'  we'll  be  there  in  a  jiffy." 

Without  further  discussion,  he  took  up  his  axe  and  leav- 
ing Marjorie  to  follow,  he  led  the  way  through  the  trees. 
There  was  nothing  for  her  to  do  but  to  accompany  him 
unless  she  was  willing  to  stay  where  she  was;  and,  with 
the  darkness  fast  coming  down,  she  did  not  hesitate  a 
minute.  The  man  seemed  honest  enough  and  she  was 
badly  in  need  of  a  rest  and  refreshment  before  starting  out 
on  the  homeward  journey.  She  felt  that  she  fully  sympa- 
thised with  his  unwillingness  to  wait  any  longer  for  his 
evening  meal.  So  she  followed  meekly  and  in  a  short 
space  they  reached  a  rude  log  cabin  set  on  the  bank  of  a 
deep  ravine  from  whence  came  the  continuous  murmur  of 
running  water.  Throwing  open  the  door  he  ushered  her 
in  and  lighted  a  lamp  that  stood  on  a  rude  table  over 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     87 

against  the  wall.  She  sank  into  a  chair  with  a  deep  sigK 
of  relief,  while  her  host  looked  her  over  curiously,  his 
little  eyes  blinking  in  the  glare  of  the  lamplight.  Mar- 
jorie  was  growing  very  uneasy  under  his  uncanny  stare 
and  she  was  beginning  to  find  the  silence  unbearable  when 
at  last  he  broke  it. 

"You  pore  darlint,"  he  said,  "I  can  see  by  the  white 
face  ov  ye  that  ye're  all  tired  out  an'  ye're  naydin'  a  drop 
ov  the  cratur.  There's  nothin'  loike  it  at  all  whin  ye're 
feelin'  a  bit  faint  loike;"  and  taking  a  bottle  and  a  glass 
from  a  box  that  was  nailed  to  the  wall  to  serve  as  a  cup- 
board, he  poured  her  out  a  stiff  draught  and  made  her 
drink  it  down. 

"Ye  nayd  n't  be  afraid,  it'll  not  make  ye  tipsy,"  he  as- 
sured her.  "Ye'll  feel  better  after  that.  Now  I'll  be  for 
fryin'  a  bit  ov  bacon  and  brewin'  a  dish  ov  tea  and  when 
ye've  got  that  ye'll  be  feelin'  ready  to  start  for  home." 

The  strong  spirits  while  it  nearly  choked  her,  revived 
Marjorie  almost  immediately  and  feeling  reassured  as  to 
her  host's  good  intentions,  while  he  was  preparing  the 
meal,  she  glanced  curiously  around  the  room,  so  dif- 
ferent from  anything  she  had  ever  experienced.  The 
walls  had  no  interior  lining  but  were  the  plain  logs  un- 
adorned. Here  and  there,  nails  were  driven  as  pegs  to 
hang  things  on,  a  miscellaneous  collection,  garments  of 
various  kinds,  towels  of  grimy  hue,  a  cracked  mirror,  an 
alarm  clock,  a  gun  and  a  long  two-handled  saw  being  among 
the  most  conspicuous  items.  A  cook-stove  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  and  this  with  the  table  and  one  or  two 
wooden  chairs  besides  the  rocker  Marjorie  was  sitting  in 
completed  the  furniture.  A  sort  of  loft  above  was  reached 
by  a  rude  ladder  made  of  two  vine-maple  poles  with  spars 
nailed  across  and  served  as  a  sleeping  chamber. 

It  was  wonderful  to  see  how  quickly  and  expeditiously 


88    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

the  old  man  set  about  getting  the  supper  ready.  First, 
he  lit  the  fire  and  then  went  outside  for  a  minute  and  re- 
turned with  a  bucketful  of  water  from  which  he  filled  his 
kettle.  He  then  set  the  table  from  the  box  cupboard  on 
the  wall,  opened  a  can  of  condensed  cream  and  one  of 
marmalade.  Then  he  put  the  frying-pan  on  the  stove 
and  produced  a  large  chunk  of  bacon  from  which  he  cut 
&  number  of  slices  and  put  them  in  the  pan.  By  the 
time  the  bacon  was  ready,  the  water  was  boiling  and  a 
granite-ware  teapot  was  brought  out  in  which  he  made 
tea;  and  then,  placing  a  chair  for  Marjorie,  he  invited 
her  to  "sit  in  and  have  a  bite."  The  whole  thing  was 
done  with  a  swiftness  and  economy  of  effort  that  was  a 
revelation  to  one  unused  to  the  handiness  of  the  lone 
frontiersman. 

"  'Tis  but  a  poor  meal  that  I'm  offerin'  ye,  miss,"  he 
apologised  as  he  poured  the  tea;  "but  at  the  laste,  ye 
should  have  a  rare  good  appetite.  They're  not  far  in 
the  wrong  that  say  that  hunger  is  the  bist  sauce.  I  wad 
have  made  ye  some  flapjacks  only  that  ye're  in  such  a 
hurry  to  get  home  again  and  I  know  that  ye'll  be  onasy  to 
be  off." 

"Indeed,  your  bacon  smells  most  deliciously,"  said  Mar- 
jorie; "and  your  bread  looks  as  if  it  had  come  from  the 
baker's,"  she  added,  helping  herself  to  a  slice.  "Flap- 
jacks— those  are  what  we  call  pancakes,  aren't  they  ?  I've 
heard  Dick  Bolton  speak  of  them.  I  had  no  idea  you 
woodsmen  were  such  good  cooks." 

"We  ain't  hardly  to  be  reckoned  cooks,"  he  replied 
modestly,  but  evidently  pleased  at  the  appreciation ;  "we're 
a  bit  too  rough-and-ready  for  that  but  what  vittles  we 
do  have  are  plain  an'  satisfyin'  an'  hain't  ruinous  to  our 
insides  like  the  foine  folks  have.  Many's  the  toime  I've 
sat  at  this  here  table  with  a  plate  ov  bacon  before  me  an' 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester     89 

a  bowl  full  of  flapjack  batter  at  hand  so  as  I  could  keep 
the  fryin'-pan  full — and  bedad  I  could  make  them  just 
as  fast  as  I  could  ate  them — an'  I  wouldn't  have  traded 
my  supper,  miss,  for  the  bist  you  could  buy  in  the  land, — 
or  in  Dublin  itsilf  for  that  matter.  You're  from  the  ould 
country  yersilf  by  yer  spache,  miss,  if  I  may  make  so 
bould?" 

"Yes,  I  was  born  in  Edinburgh  though  I  have  lived 
most  of  my  life  in  the  south  of  England,"  Marjorie  re- 
plied. She  was  beginning  to  feel  more  at  home  with  her 
host  and  she  had  now  lost  all  fear  of  him. 

"An'  I'm  suspictin'  ye've  come  out  to  this  counthry  to 
get  married,  miss,  jist  loike  all  the  rist  ov  them?"  he 
questioned  with  a  contortion  of  the  features  that  Mar- 
jorie guessed  was  meant  to  convey  a  wink. 

"Oh  no,  quite  the  contrary,"  she  replied  blushing  in 
spite  of  herself.  She  felt  that  as  it  was  evident  there  was 
no  rudeness  intended,  there  was  nothing  to  gain  by  stand- 
ing on  her  dignity.  If  Doty  could  only  see  me  now,  she 
thought,  how  amused  she  would  be. 

The  old  man  was  looking  at  her  with  growing  approval 
between  large  bites  of  bread  and  bacon  and  copious 
draughts  of  tea  from  an  earthenware  bowl,  Marjorie  hav- 
ing been  honoured  with  the  one  cup  that  the  establishment 
boasted. 

"Ye'll  not  have  long  to  wait  here  annyway,"  he  said; 
"before  ye'll  be  snapped  up.  Girls  loike  you  ain't  so 
plintiful,  belave  me;  an'  if  I  were  jist  thirty  years  younger 
I  wouldn't  be  slow  ov  askin'  ye  mesilf. 

"There  must  be  some  loikely  young  lads  round  about 
Boltons'  place  though,"  he  went  on.  "There's  young  Scott 
that  has  the  place  the  other  side  ov  him — him  that  has 
the  thrasher;  an'  there's  Mr.  Leicester  that  has  the  place 
this  side  of  the  creek.  He's  got  a  good  ranch  an'  money 


9O    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

in  the  bank  too ;  an'  a  right  smart  lad  he  is.  There's  not 
anny  of  them  that  would  care  to  thread  on  his  coat-tail." 

"I've  met  Mr.  Leicester,"  said  Marjorie.  Her  interest 
was  aroused  although  she  did  not  relish  the  turn  the  con- 
versation had  taken.  "Is  he  not  one  of  these  Englishmen 
who  take  up  ranching  to  give  them  an  excuse  to  idle  their 
time  away?" 

"Divil  a  bit,  miss;  not  Mr.  Leicester.  An'  there  ain't 
none  of  the  haw-haw  business  about  him.  He's  just  as 
frindly  and  free-and-easy  as  you  and  me;  but  still  he 
ain't  the  sort  o'  chap  as  one  could  take  anny — so-to-speak — 
liberties  with.  Did  ye  iver  hear  tell  of  how  he  fooled  the 
lunatic  that  was  livin'  up  in  the  old  Mills  shanty  ?" 

"No,  I  never  heard  of  it.  What  was  it  ?"  Marjorie  asked. 

"This  lad,  ye  see,  had  gone  crasy  loike  with  livin'  so 
much  by  himsilf  an'  takin'  too  much  booze;  an'  he  was 
prowlin'  round  by  night  kind  ov  wild,  scarin'  women  and 
children  until  they  were  all  afeared  to  go  out  alone.  Ov 
course,  ye  see,  miss,  that  couldn't  go  on  now,  could  it  ?  an* 
pretty  soon  the  Provincial  police  sint  up  a  couple  ov  min 
to  arrest  the  pore  chap  an'  take  'im  down  to  the  asylum. 
They  wint  first  to  Mr.  Leicester,  as  he  was  one  ov  the 
Police  commissioners,  to  find  where  the  man  lived — an' 
Mr.  Leicester  gave  thim  their  directions  an'  sint  them  off." 

He  pushed  back  his  plate  and  passed  the  back  of  his  hand 
across  his  mouth  as  an  indication  that  he  had  finished  eat- 
ing; and  then  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  pulled  the 
corn-cob  pipe  from  his  pocket  and  filled  it. 

"With  your  permission,  miss,"  he  said  with  an  airy 
wave  of  the  hand;  "give  me  just  tin  minutes  an'  I'll  be 
riddy  to  start."  Marjorie  having  graciously  assented,  he 
struck  a  match  on  his  trousers  and  gravely  lighted  up,  tak- 
ing one  or  two  preliminary  draws  before  resuming  his  tale. 

"They  do  say  as  they  wint  off  laughin'  an'  joking  jist 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    91 

like  two  kids  to  a  circus;  but  they  were  n't  long  or  they 
were  back  with  their  tails  between  their  legs,  so  to  spake, 
miss.  They  had  found  that  to  take  old  Bill  wasn't  anny- 
thing  like  the  picnic-jaunt  they  had  expicted  it  to  be.  The 
old  boy  had  got  wind  o'  their  comin'  an'  he  was  sittin' 
waitin'  for  them  with  a  shotgun.  They  didn't  go  near 
enough  fer  to  find  out  if  it  was  loaded  ayther.  There  was 
a  look  ov  detirmination  about  'im  sittin'  there  on  a  saw- 
horse  that  stood  outside  the  cabin  door  that  suddinly  made 
thim  feel  the  greatest  respect  for  'im;  an'  they  decided 
very  quickly  that  it  would  niver  do  to  break  in  on  'is  pri- 
vacy, not  that  day,  at  laste. 

"Well,  miss,  they  tried  it  a  second  time  thinkin'  that 
they  would  sneak  up  an'  take  him  unawares ;  an'  they  did 
get  inside  the  house  but  they  were  soon  out  agin.  They 
niver  tould  annyone  just  what  happened;  but  they  came 
back  a  good  deal  faster  than  they  had  gone  which  said  a  lot 
for  ould  Bill's  powers  ov  persuasion,  miss. 

"So,  they  wint  back  to  town  sayin'  they  would  report 
the  matter  at  headquarters  and  see  what  could  be  done 
about  it.  Nothin'  was  done,  however,  an'  Bill  he  was  left 
in  peace  for  a  while  till  one  night  he  chased  the  Wilkins 
girls  an'  near  scared  them  out  ov  their  wits.  Thin  ould 
man  Wilkins  complained  to  Mr.  Leicester  and  said  what  a 
disgrace  it  was  that  the  counthry  should  be  terrorised  in 
that  way.  There  was  Mr.  Leicester,  he  said,  a  justice  of 
the  peace  an'  he  hadn't  done  a  thing  about  it  an'  let  on 
as  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  ov  himsilf,  bearin'  the  sword  of 
office  in  vain — he  had  been  a  Baptist  deacon,  had  old  Wil- 
kins,  an'  he  used  to  talk  as  if  he  was  preachin'  a  sermon 
most  ov  the  time. 

"Mr.  Leicester  tould  him  as  how  it  wasn't  his  fault — 
Joe  Westcott,  that's  him  as  is  the  policeman  for  this  mu- 
nicipality, you  see,  miss,  he  was  sick  with  pneumonia — an* 


92    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

although  he  had  asked  the  Provincial  Police  to  take  action, 
their  men  had  gone  back  in  disgust  without  makin'  the 
arrist  on  account  of  the  gineral  on-healthiness  ov  the  job. 

"  'Why  don't  ye  do  it  yersilf  thin  ?'  says  old  Wilkins. 
'You're  responsible  for  the  protiction  ov  this  here  com- 
munity, hain't  ye?  You're  afeared,  that's  what.  Why 
don't  you  swear  in  some  spicial  constables  an'  git  thim  to 
hilp  ye  ?  Are  we  all  goin'  to  be  murdered  by  this  madman 
just  because  you  hain't  got  the  gumption  to  carry  out  your 
duties  ?' 

"I  heard  ivery  word,  miss,  because  I  was  standin'  right 
there  whin  he  said  it — I  was  hilpin'  Mr.  Leicester  blow 
some  stumps  on  that  last  tin-acre  patch  he  cleared  up. 

"You  could  see  he  was  kin'  ov  angry  by  the  way  his  eyes 
flashed  but  he  ain't  the  one  to  break  out  whin  he's  mad — 
he  jist  gets  the  more  quiet  and  cool.  Just  like  blasting 
powder,  miss — that's  a  box  ov  it  there  sittin'  under  the 
table — it's  very  quiet  and  harmless  until  somethin'  makes 
it  go  off  an'  thin  there's  somethin'  doin'.  He  just  looked 
at  old  Wilkins  sort  ov  resintf  ul  loike  while  you  might  count 
tin,  say,  an'  thin  he  says:  'No,  Mr.  Wilkins,  it  wasn't 
exactly  that  I  was  afraid ;  but  I  was  hopin'  the  old  chap 
might  get  better  or  the  thing  might  blow  over.  Seein' 
he  had  put  up  such  a  good  fight  for  his  liberty  and  had 
routed  the  police  temporarily,  I  thought  that  there  would 
be  no  harm  in  lettin'  the  matter  lie  to  see  if  he  didn't 
keep  quiet.  Of  course,  this  affair  of  his  chasing  your 
daughters  makes  it  necessary  to  act  at  once.' 

"  'Suppose,  thin,  actin'  on  your  suggistion,  I  swear  you 
in  as  a  special  constable  and  we'll  go  right  up  there  now 
and  arrist  him.'  Faith,  miss,"  and  the  old  logger's  eyes 
were  gleaming  at  the  remembrance  as  he  filled  up  his  pipe 
again,  "ye  should  ov  seen  ould  Wilkins  shrink  and  shrivel 
up  whin  he  said  that.  Divil  a  bit  o'  bounce  was  lift  in 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    93 

'im.  Him  go  up  there  an'  take  the  chances  of  bein'  shot 
by  that  ould  crazy  man — not  loikely!  He  had  a  family, 
he  had,  an'  his  loife  wasn't  to  be  loightly  thrown  away. 

"  'I'm  very  sorry  that  you  can't  see  your  way  to  help  me, 
Mr.  Wilkins.  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  do  the  job  alone 
thin?' 

"Old  Wilkins,  he  jist  gasped  loike  a  fish  out  ov  the 
water. 

"  'Alone !  You're  niver  goin'  to  try  it  alone  ?'  says  he. 
'Why  you'll  be  shot  if  you  do.' 

"  'One  has  to  risk  something  for  the  good  ov  the  com- 
munity you  know,'  says  Mr.  Leicester  smilin'  kind  o'  quiet 
loike.  'By-the-way,  is  that  pinto  pony  of  yours  still  as  lame 
as  ever  ?' 

"  'Every  bit,'  answers  Wilkins  kind  o'  taken  aback.  'An 
what  ov  it?'  says  he. 

"  'Oh,'  says  Mr.  Leicester,  'I've  niver  met  this  old  man 
but  I  understand  he's  pretty  fond  ov  a  horse.  Quite  a  good 
hand  at  doctorin'  thim  too.' 

"  'So  I  believe,'  says  Wilkins. 

"  'Well,'  says  Mr.  Leicester,  'I'd  like  to  borrow  him 
from  you  for  the  afternoon  if  you'll  bring  him  round  after 
dinner.  I'll  pay  you  for  any  damage  that  may  come  to 
him.' 

"  'What  you  goin'  to  do  with  him  ?'  asks  Wilkins  kin'  o' 
suspicious-loike. 

"  'You'll  see  if  you  loike  to  come  along  with  me,'  says 
Mr.  Leicester.  'Will  you  bring  him  or  will  you  not  be- 
cause I  can  get  one  from  Andrew  Speedie  I  know  ?' 

"  'Oh,  I'll  bring  him  all  right,'  says  Wilkins. 

"Well,  miss,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  Mr.  Leicester 
took  this  old  pinto  that  was  limpin'  awful  bad,  an'  he  led 
it  right  up  to  that  old  man  tho'  he  was  sittin'  waitin' 
for  'im  just  as  he  did  for  the  gumshoe-min  from  town. 


94    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

He  purtinded  to  be  encouraging  ov  the  baste  an'  kin'  of 
helpin'  him  along;  an'  he  didn't  pay  no  attintion  to  the 
ould  man  an'  his  shot-gun  till  he  came  right  up  beside  'im. 
Thin  he  turns  an'  tells  him  that  he'd  heard  what  a  fine 
Vet'  he  was  and  would  he  see  what  he  thought  about  that 
pony's  leg.  Mr.  Leicester  niver  let  on  that  he  saw  the  gun 
but  was  purtindin'  that  he  was  so  interested  in  the  suffer- 
in's  of  the  baste  that  he  didn't  see  no  gun.  The  ould  man's 
fingers  were  twitchin'  an'  'is  eyes  were  wild — I  saw  'im 
mysilf  after  Mr.  Leicester  brought  'im  down  an'  I  never 
saw  a  more  fearsome-lookin'  object  with  'is  long  hair  an' 
beard  an'  the  foam  a-gatherin'  round  his  mouth — but  as 
Mr.  Leicester  kept  a  talkin'  away  koind  o'  quiet  loike  about 
splints  an'  spavins  and  sich,  the  ould  chap  began  to  get 
quieter  an'  take  notice.  Pretty  soon,  he  laid  down  his  gun 
an'  wint  over  to  the  blissid  pinto  that  was  standin'  on  three 
legs,  poor  brute,  an'  he  knelt  down  to  feel  of  the  lame  leg. 
Thin  just  at  that  moment,  Mr.  Leicester  jumped  on  him 
loike  a  flash  an'  got  'im  down  on  his  back.  The  ould  man 
fought  loike  a  wildcat;  but  Mr.  Leicester  after  a  bit  ov  a 
struggle  managed  to  git  the  bist  ov  him  an'  was  able  to  get 
a  bit  ov  rope  round  his  wrists  an'  after  that  it  was  asy. 

"Ye  should  a  seen  ould  Wilkins'  face  whin  he  saw  Mr. 
Leicester  comin'  back  with  the  lunatic  beside  him. 

"No,  miss,  I  ain't  easily  scared  mysilf — but,  I  wouldn't 
ov  tackled  that  job  that  day  for  all  the  gold  in  British 
Columbia,"  and  he  rose  and  knocked  the  ashes  out  of  his 
pipe  into  the  stove.  "(I'm  a  terrible  one  to  talk  once  I 
get  a-going,"  he  said  apologetically.  "You'll  be  wantin'  to 
get  started  for  home  an'  I  guess  now  I'm  ready.  We'll 
take  a  lantern  with  us  an'  it  won't  take  long  to  get  you 
back  to  your  fireside  again." 

"That's  a  very  interesting  story,"  said  Marjorie  rising 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    95 

and  putting  on  her  hat ;  "and  you  describe  it  very  graphi- 
cally. It  was  a  plucky  thing  to  do." 

The  tale  had  appealed  strongly  to  her  imagination  and 
she  found  her  thoughts  recurring  to  it  persistently  as  she 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  her  guide  by  the  light  of  the 
lantern  which  he  carried.  The  hero  of  it  was  the  man  that 
she  had  twice  snubbed  out  of  the  four  times  she  had  met 
him ;  and  she  was  feeling  a  little  uneasy  as  to  the  part  she 
had  played.  She  had  meant  to  assert  her  dignity  and  she 
was  afraid  that  instead  she  had  only  succeeded  in  being 
rude.  The  story  had  given  her  a  better  opinion  of  Mr. 
Leicester  but  her  own  self-esteem  had  suffered  corre- 
spondingly in  the  process. 

They  had  not  gone  very  far  before  they  saw  a  light  com- 
ing towards  them  through  the  trees  and  soon  Bolton  and 
Dicky  met  them  with  the  heartiest  expressions  of  joy.  They 
had  gone  to  Mrs.  Dickson's  as  Marjorie  had  surmised;  and 
when  they  learned  that  she  had  taken  the  trail,  they  at 
once  guessed  what  had  happened  and  started  out  to  look  for 
her. 

Marjorie  introduced  her  rescuer  although  she  had  to 
ask  his  name  to  do  so.  Then  she  parted  from  him  with 
warm  expressions  of  her  gratitude  for  his  kindness  and 
hospitality  and  she  promised  to  come  and  see  him  again 
some  day  with  Dick. 

"Be  sure  that  ye  do  thin,  miss,"  he  said,  highly  pleased, 
,  the  light  of  the  lantern  throwing  his  crinkly  features  into 
strange  lights  and  shadows  grotesquely  gargoyle-like  in 
their  quaintness;  "an'  I'll  give  ye  both  the  bist  fryin'  o' 
flapjacks  wid  maple  syrup  that  ye've  iver  had  in  yer 
loives." 

With  a  wave  of  his  hand  in  farewell,  he  took  his  way 
back  to  his  solitary  cabin. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Fairies,  'black,  grey,  green,  and  white, 

You  moonshine  revellers,  and  shades  of  night. 

SHAKESPEARE. 

Her  sweet  arms  were  unfolded  on  the  air, 

They  seemed  Wee  floating  flowers  the  most  fair — 

White  lilies  the  most  choice ; 
And  in  the  gradual  tending  of  her  hand 
There  lurlced  a  grace  that  no  man  could  withstand; 
Yea,  none  Tcnew  whether  hands,  or  feet,  or  voice, 

Most  made  the  heart  rejoice. 

A.  O 'SHAUGHNESSY. 

ONCE  having  heard  about  Peter  Pan  and  the  fairies, 
nothing  would  satisfy  Dick  Bolton  but  a  fuller  initiation 
into  these  mysteries.  Brought  up  among  matter-of-fact 
people,  his  imaginative  nature  had  been  starved  of  its 
birthright  and  it  responded  with  all  the  greater  eagerness 
to  the  glimpses  of  an  ideal  world  which  Marjorie  opened 
up  to  it  The  realm  of  magic  that  lay  behind  the  words, 
"let's  pretend,"  was  one  that  he  entered  into  with  the  full- 
est abandon  of  iov. 

V         «/ 

Marjorie  herself,  despite  her  twenty  years,  was  nothing! 
loath  to  be  his  cicerone.  After  cooking  and  washing  dishes 
and  caring  for  the  invalid,  for  Mrs.  Bolton's  health  was 
slow  in  mending,  it  was  a  pleasant  relaxation  after  the 
evening  meal  was  over  and  the  day's  work  done,  to  put  her 
wits  to  work  and  draw  upon  the  treasures  of  her  fairy  lore 
to  pander  to  Dicky's  new  appetite.  They  did  not  find  the 
house  with  its  small  rooms  a  congenial  place  for  their  pur- 

96 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    97 

pose,  however,  so  they  used  to  steal  out  together  down  the 
trail  towards  the  creek  when  the  moon  was  shining ;  or  out 
through  the  clearing  under  the  bright  stars  when  there 
was  no  moon.  Down  by  the  creek,  there  was  a  fine,  level, 
park-like  stretch  which  they  had  discovered  was  just  the 
place  for  fairies  to  dance  in ;  and  there  were  two  old  cedar 
stumps,  to  which  with  some  difficulty  Dick  had  managed 
to  set  fire.  These  were  to  furnish  the  light  for  some  won- 
derful high  jinks  that  Marjorie  had  promised  to  perform 
for  Dick,  if  he  would  be  specially  conscientious  with  his 
chores  and  do  all  he  could  to  help  his  father. 

So  it  happened  that  one  night  as  Keith  was  returning 
home  from  a  call  upon  a  man  who  lived  a  mile  north  of 
Bolton's  place,  he  was  surprised  to  hear  the  sound  of  sing- 
ing as  he  threaded  his  way  along  the  winding  trail  where  it 
came  down  towards  the  bed  of  the  creek.  He  had  noticsd 
the  burning  stumps  as  he  had  passed  through  in  the  after- 
noon but  in  the  clear  light  of  day  they  had  shown  but 
faintly.  Now,  however,  through  the  dark  they  flared  out 
with  a  lurid  glow,  throwing  into  sharp  relief  the  thick 
tracery  of  the  intervening  boughs  and  foliage.  The  air 
was  familiar  to  him  and  he  recognised  the  opening  chorus 
of  "lolanthe,"  the  words  sounding  forth  distinctly  in  a 
clear  rich  soprano  voice : 

' '  We  are  dainty  little  fairies, 

Ever  singing,  ever  dancing, 
We  indulge  in  our  vagaries 

In  a  fashion  most  entrancing; 
If  you  ask  the  special  function 

Of  our  never-ceasing  motion, 
We  reply  without  compunction, 

That  we  haven't  any  notion, 
Tripping  hither,  tripping  thither, 

Nobody  knows  why  or  whither, 
We  must  dance  and  we  must  sing, 

Sound  about  our  fairy  ring!" 


98    The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Keith,  like  Tarn  O'  Shanter  had  "ventured  forward  on 
the  licht"  and  like  him,  too,  found  his  eyes  enriched  with 
an  amazing  spectacle.  Right  on  an  open  space  of  sward 
between  two  blazing  stumps,  a  fairy  was  dancing  before  an 
audience  of  one  small  boy  who  squatted  on  the  ground 
with  his  arms  clasped  around  his  knees  and  still  as  if  spell- 
bound. The  fairy  was  not  dressed  with  the  customary 
scantiness  of  traditional  fairy  costume  yet  danced  with 
an  airy  lightness  and  a  sinuous  grace.  Her  arms  were 
bare  and  her  dark  hair  flowed  down  about  her  shoulders 
while  her  gown  of  some  light  material  reaching  to  her 
ankles  followed  the  delicate  lines  and  curves  of  her  willowy 
figure. 

"Gee!  but  that  was  fine,"  said  the  small  boy,  as  he 
clapped  his  hands.  "Do  some  more,  please." 

The  dance  had  come  to  a  close  with  the  song,  and  the 
dancer  stood  smiling  at  the  enthusiasm  of  the  audience. 

"You  must  remember,"  she  explained,  "that  I  am  sur- 
rounded by  other  fairies  who  are  my  subjects  and  who  are 
all  dancing  too.  You  can  see  me  because  I  am  half  a 
mortal  and  only  half  a  fairy  but  you  can't  see  them  at  all. 
But  that's  enough  for  the  fairies  to-night.  Now  I'll  give 
you  a  bit  of  Grand  Opera. 

"There  was  a  little  girl,  the  daughter  of  a  great  noble 
who  was  stolen  from  her  home  by  a  gipsy  and  brought  up 
by  the  band ;  and  when  she  grew  up  she  had  a  lover  and 
this  is  a  song  she  sings  to  him.  I'll  sit  down  on  this  log 
and  my  lover  is  supposed  to  be  sitting  at  my  feet.  You 
must  make  believe,  you  know,  or  you  lose  half  the  effect." 

She  sat  down  on  the  end  of  a  log  and  sang  "I  dreamt 
that  I  Dwelt  in  Marble  Halls."  Keith  stood  watching  her 
spellbound.  His  conscience  told  him  that  he  ought  to 
turn  away ;  but  the  temptation  to  remain  was  too  great  for 
him.  As  she  began  the  familiar  air  from  "The  Bohemian 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester    99 

Girl,"  it  carried  him  back  to  the  last  time  he  had  heard  it 
at  Covent  Garden  over  three  years  ago  when  the  girl  he  was 
to  have  married  was  beside  him.  The  memory  had  its 
poignancy  of  pain;  and  a  feeling  of  sadness  came  over 
him  as  he  listened  to  the  beautiful  air  which  was  all  the 
more  effective  because  of  the  fine  temperament  that  the 
singer  displayed  in  the  rendering.  Her  voice  had  all  the 
assurance  and  finish  of  a  well-trained  artist  and  she  took 
the  trills  with  ease  and  sweetness. 

Over  the  girl  herself,  as  she  sang  the  song,  there  had 
come  a  feeling  of  depression  and  homesickness.  The  dark 
shadows  of  the  surrounding  forest,  flickering  and  chang- 
ing with  the  flame  of  the  burning  tree-stumps  all  at  once 
took  on  a  sinister  aspect  drear  and  unfriendly;  and  tho 
loneliness  of  her  position  away  in  this  wild  country  far 
from  everyone  she  knew  came  upon  her  all  at  once.  The 
boldest  of  us  only  realise  when  we  are  parted  from  them, 
how  much  we  are  dependent  for  our  happiness  on  the 
friends  by  whom  we  are  surrounded,  apd  how  loss  of  them 
makes  life  barren  and  miserable.  So  when  the  song  was 
finished,  despite  Dick's  pleadings,  she  would  not  sing  any 
more ;  but  picked  up  her  cloak  and  threw  it  around  her. 

"No,  I'm  tired  now,  Dicky,  and  I  want  to  go  back. 
We'll  come  some  other  night ;"  and  the  two  walking  abreast 
came  down  the  trail.  Keith  had  just  time  to  step  behind 
a  large  tree  to  let  them  go  by.  To  have  moved  off  quickly 
through  the  brush  was  to  have  courted  discovery  where 
every  bush  and  stick  had  tongues  of  protest  for  the  un- 
wary stumbler;  so  he  stood  in  the  shadow  and  watched 
them  pass.  Then  he  slipped  off  down  the  trail  and  was  just 
congratulating  himself  on  having  escaped  so  neatly  when 
he  heard  Dick  call  out,  "Hello,  Caesar,  old  boy!  Where 
did  you  come  from  ?" 

"Confound  that  dog!"  he  exclaimed  under  his  breath 


ioo  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

in  sore  vexation.  Dick  would  be  sure  to  guess  from 
Caesar's  presence  that  his  master  was  not  far  away,  he 
thought,  and  would  tell  Marjorie.  The  girl  would  most 
probably  suspect  that  he  had  been  playing  the  "peeping 
Tom"  and  would  like  him  less  than  ever.  He  seemed  to 
have  been  most  unfortunate  in  the  impression  he  had  cre- 
ated every  time  that  they  had  met  although  he  had  tried  to 
be  friendly  enough;  and  now  to  crown  all,  there  was  this 
most  annoying  contretemps.  However,  he  did  not  blame 
himself.  It  was  not  his  fault  that  he  had  happened  to 
pass  by.  After  all,  it  was  on  his  own  land  and  no  man 
with  red  blood  in  his  veins  could  have  turned  away  immedi- 
ately. Why  should  Dick  be  the  only  one  to  enjoy  the 
charming  spectacle? 

"I  don't  care !"  he  said  to  himself  at  last  as  he  turned  in 
by  the  garden  gate.  "Whether  she  guesses  that  I  was  there 
or  not,  I  am  glad  I  had  a  good  look  at  the  show.  Might  as 
well  be  hung  for  a  sheep  as  for  a  lamb." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

I  saw  he  had  a  Bow, 
And  Wings,  too,  which  did  shiver; 

'And  looking  down  below, 
I  spy'd  he  had  a  Quiver. 

E.  HEERICK. 

IT  was  about  a  week  after  the  event  chronicled  in  the 
last  chapter  that  as  Keith  was  seated  at  his  dinner  his 
newspaper  before  him  and  Caesar  as  usual  on  the  hearth- 
rug, there  was  a  faint  knocking  and  Dicky  Bolton  entered. 
Keith  had  been  planting  potatoes  all  day  and  was  enjoying 
the  luxury  of  relaxation  and  Mrs.  Dalrymple's  good  cook- 
ing after  his  hard  toil.  The  boy  fingered  his  cap  nervously 
as  he  came  forward  but  quickly  forgot  his  shyness  when 
Keith  had  set  him  down  to  a  slice  of  apple  pie.  That  he 
had  something  on  his  mind,  however,  was  evident  by  the 
absent  way  in  which  he  replied  to  the  questions  that  were 
put  to  him.  His  mother  was  somewhat  better,  he  said, 
though  not  able  to  be  up ;  and  his  father  had  been  working 
out  with  his  team  for  a  neighbour.  He,  himself,  had  been 
going  to  school  although  he  could  ill  be  spared  from  home. 

"Marjorie's  been  doin'  all  the  work  at  the  house,"  he 
declared ;  "  'cause  she  said  I  must  n't  stay  away  from  school 
whatever  happened.  Mother  wanted  me  to  stay  and  I 
wanted  to ;  but  she  just  wouldn't  let  me.  Mother  just  frets 
an'  frets  about  her  havin'  to  do  so  much ;  but  we  can't  help 
it,  can  we,  when  we're  so  poor  ?" 

"You're  all  very  fond  of  Marjorie,  are  n't  you?"  said 

101 


102  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Keith,  not  unwilling  to  have  the  boy  talk  about  the  hired 
girl. 

"You  kin  just  bet  we  are,"  and  Dick's  eyes  shone  with 
enthusiasm  but  his  face  clouded  over  again.  "Say!"  he 
went  on  with  some  embarrassment,  "you  know  that  there's 
a.  concert  an'  dance  down  at  Portlake  to-night  an'  Mother 
was  wonderin'  if  you  mebbe  wouldn't  ask  Marjorie  to  go 
down  to  it.  She  ain't  having  any  kind  of  a  time  with  us 
at  all,  with  Mother  so  sick  an'  nobody  ever  comin'  to  the 
house.  Dad's  too  tired  after  working  all  day  an'  'sides  he 
wouldn't  feel  like  going." 

The  barefacedness  of  the  proposal  came  with  a  shock  to 
Keith ;  but  the  wistful  earnestness  of  the  little  face  before 
him  prevented  him  from  giving  vent  to  his  indignation. 
What  was  the  world  coming  to  ?  he  asked  himself.  Every- 
one seemed  to  be  conspiring  to  throw  him  and  this  girl  to- 
gether. First  of  all,  old  Jim  had  virtually  forced  him  to 
drive  her  from  the  station  and  now,  here  were  Dick  and 
Mrs.  Bolton  putting  their  heads  together  to  make  him  take 
her  to  a  dance.  He  had  always  refused  to  go  to  any  of  the 
village  entertainments  although  he  had  often  been  asked; 
for  the  local  belles  and  their  mothers  had  marked  him  out 
as  an  eligible  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  district.  Long 
ago,  however,  they  had  given  him  up  in  despair.  To  make 
his  appearance  now  as  Miss  Coon's  escort  would  be  an  or- 
deal from  which  a  man  of  his  modest  disposition  might  well 
flinch. 

Moreover,  since  the  night  when  he  had  listened  uninvited 
to  her  little  concert  by  the  creek  bed,  truth  to  tell  she  had 
been  more  in  his  thoughts  than  he  felt  was  altogether 
healthy  for  one  who  had  forsworn  the  sex.  The  haunting 
accents  of  her  voice  had  lingered  persistently  in  his  memory 
and  he  found  himself  humming  over  snatches  of  her  songs 
or  recalling  their  cadences  at  all  seasons  of  tHe  day  and 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  103 

night.  However  his  reason  might  disapprove,  he  could  not 
disguise  from  himself  the  pleasure  that  he  felt  in  the  re- 
membrance. These  things  passed  rapidly  through  his  mind 
as  he  paused  before  returning  an  answer.  Whatever  her 
present  position  might  mean,  Keith  was  well  enough  aware 
now  that  Miss  Coon  was  no  ordinary  maid-of -all-work ;  but 
he  felt  that  the  realisation  of  this  fact  made  it  all  the  more 
necessary  for  him  to  keep  aloof  from  her.  To  cover  his 
embarrassment  and  give  him  the  more  time  to  reflect, 
having  pushed  back  his  plate,  he  drew  a  cigarette  from  his 
case  and  proceeded  to  light  it. 

"Did  you  bring  your  bow  and  arrows  with  you,  Dicky  ?" 
he  questioned  at  last,  lifting  his  gaze  from  the  cigarette  to 
the  boy's  flushed  face. 

Dick  looked  up  with  bewilderment  not  unmixed  with 
perturbation  but  was  reassured  by  the  twmkle  in  Keith's 
eye. 

"Bow  and  arrows!"  he  repeated;  "I  have  n't  got  any 
bow  and  arrows.  I  just  wish  I  had.  Why  ?" 

"Oh,  just  a  thought  I  had.  I  half  expected  to  see  you 
hadn't  any  clothes  on  and  were  sporting  wings  and  a  bow 
and  arrows." 

Dick  was  speechless  with  mystification. 

"It  was  very  good  of  your  mother  to  think  of  it  for 
Miss  Coon,  I'm  sure,"  Keith  continued;  "and,  of  course, 
I  would  be  glad  to  help  out  although  I  am  not  sure  that 
she  would  appreciate  the  attention.  Are  you  sure  that 
she  would  go  if  we  were  to  ask  her  ?" 

"O  yes,  sure  she  would  but,  of  course,  we  have  n't  said 
anything  to  her  about  it — that  is  about  asking  you  to 
take  her.  Dad  was  going  to  have  taken  her  and  she  did 
say  as  how  she  would  like  to  go  and  see  how  they  did 
things  here;  but  now  Dad  has  a  chance  to  work  out  with 
the  team,  he  can't  go  an'  she  said  it  wouldn't  matter.  Then 


104  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Mother  thought  of  you  an'  she  thought  that  mebbe  you 
wouldn't  mind." 

"Dicky,  my  lad,"  said  Keith  solemnly  but  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye.  "It  savours  to  me  very  strongly  of  fate 
— predestination,  some  people  call  it." 

"I  dunno  what  that  is,"  said  Dick  staring  blankly. 

"Just  as  well  for  you,  my  boy,  perhaps,  that  you  don't. 
It  has  bothered  wiser  heads  than  yours  or  mine.  It  is  a 
puzzle  handed  down  to  us  by  our  forefathers  and  we  are 
no  nearer  solving  it  than  they  were.  I  suppose  you've 
never  seen  a  puppet-show?" 

"No,"  Dick  answered  shaking  his  head  half  ashamed. 

"Nor  a  Punch  and  Judy  ?" 

"No." 

"You  poor  benighted  boy!  Never  mind,  though/'  said 
Keith  consolingly,  "the  future  has  all  the  more  in  store 
for  you.  A  puppet  show,  Dick,  is  one  in  which  the  actors 
are  little  dolla  whose  actions  are  controlled  by  strings 
worked  by  some  one  hidden  behind  the  scenes.  They  move 
their  arms  and  legs  just  as  he  makes  them  by  pulling  the 
strings. 

"According  to  the  predestination  teaching,  Dicky,  we 
are  just  like  the  puppets.  We  have  no  wills  of  our  own 
but  just  have  to  move  according  as  some  hidden  power  be- 
hind us  pulls  the  strings." 

"  'Tain't  true  though,  is  it  ?"  the  boy  asked  somewhat 
doubtfully. 

"It's  a  hard  question,  Dicky.  I've  always  been  rather 
inclined  to  favour  the  free-will  theory — it's  the  more 
soothing  to  one's  self-respect  at  least;  but  this  is  one  of 
the  times  that  I  might  almost  believe  there  was  something 
in  the  other.  I  feel  as  if  somebody  was  pulling  the  strings 
on  me.  Call  it  fate  or  predestination  or  what  you  will; 
but,  ^it  seems  to  me —  '  and  he  looked  at  Dick  with  a 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  105 

glance  of  mock  reproach — "I  know  one  that  has  a  finger 
in  the  pie." 

Dick  sat  silent  not  knowing  that  the  cap  was  meant 
for  his  wearing. 

"I  see  that  I  am  boring  you  though,"  Keith  apologised. 
"I  am  afraid  that  you  have  n't  yet  reached  the  philosophic 
age  and  such  problems  do  not  interest  you.  Anyway, 
Dicky,  you  have  the  best  of  it;  for  philosophers  may  be 
wise  but  they  aren't  happy.  They  know  too  much." 

Dick  munched  reflectively  at  his  pie. 

"I  wish  I  knew  ever  so  much,"  he  said.  "I  wish  I 
knew  as  much  as  you  do." 

"But  to  come  back  to  the  question  at  issue,  Dick,  what 
am  I  going  to  wear  to-night  to  go  with  this  fine  young  lady 
of  yours?  Do  they  wear  'glad  rags,'  to  use  the  popular 
slang,  in  these  village  affairs  or  does  one  wear  one's  ordi- 
nary ?" 

"Oh,  just  wear  your  Sunday  suit.  That  will  be  all 
right." 

"Well,  it's  about  time  I  was  getting  ready,  for  I'll  have 
to  drive  round  with  the  buggy  and  that  will  take  half  an 
hour  or  more.  You  had  better  slip  away  home  across  the 
creek  and  don't  for  your  life  tell  where  you  have  been  or 
let  Miss  Coon  know  anything  about  it.  And  next  time  you 
go  about  on  business  of  this  kind,  don't  go  in  disguise  but 
put  your  wings  on  and  bring  your  bow  and  arrows." 

And  he  hustled  the  bewildered  Dicky  out  the  door. 


rAnd  you'll  come — won't  you  come? — to  our  ball. 

W.  M.  PEAED. 

THE  Boltons  and  Miss  Coon  were  all  sitting  together 
in  the  front  room  which  they  used  as  an  eating  and  living 
room  when  a  knock  came  to  the  door  and  Dick  opened  it 
to  admit  Keith  Leicester.  He  was  wearing  a  suit  of  black 
clothes  with  a  sack  coat  and  he  shook  hands  first  with  Mrs. 
Bolton,  who,  now  on  the  road  to  recovery,  had  been  brought 
in  to  sit  for  a  while  in  a  big  chair  in  front  of  the  fire,  and 
then  with  Marjorie  and  the  others.  After  enquiring  all 
about  the  invalid  and  passing  a  few  remarks  with  Bolton 
about  the  weather  and  the  ploughing,  he  came  to  the  busi- 
ness that  had  brought  him. 

"There  is  a  concert  and  dance  at  the  village  to-night 
that  I  was  going  to  go  down  to,"  he  said  addressing  the 
girl;  "and  I  thought  that  perhaps  you  would  be  kind 
enough  to  accompany  me.  It  will  be  altogether  different 
I'm  sure  from  anything  you've  ever  seen." 

She  was  sitting  in  a  low  rocker  darning  what  by  the  size 
of  it  appeared  to  be  one  of  Dick's  socks;  and  Keith  was 
able  to  enjoy  without  rudeness  the  fine  lines  of  her  profile 
with  its  delicate  colouring  warmed  by  the  glow  of  the  fire- 
light and  set  in  the  soft  foil  of  her  dark  golden  hair  that 
curled  about  her  temples.  She  seemed  taken  by  surprise 
and  did  not  know  just  what  to  say. 

"It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  think  of  me,"  she  said  grate- 

106 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  107 

fully,  "but  I'm  afraid  that  I  couldn't  go.  It  is  rather 
short  notice  isn't  it  ?  Besides  I  have  my  patient  to  attend 
to;  and  I  wouldn't  know  what  to  wear;"  and  she  looked 
over  to  Mrs.  Bolton  for  support. 

"Oh,  but  you  must  go,"  said  Mrs.  Bolton  earnestly,  "and 
it  is  so  kind  of  Mr.  Leicester  to  call  for  you.  Tom  will  look 
after  me  splendidly.  You  know  you  were  to  have  gone 
with  him  if  it  hadn't  been  for  this  job  over  at  Murray's  to 
plough.  It'll  be  a  fine  change  for  you  and  it  will  be  so 
much  nicer  going  with  Mr.  Leicester's  fast  team." 

"You  don't  need  to  stay  for  the  dance  unless  you  want 
to,"  said  Keith ;  "and  as  to  clothes,  one  could  go  in  overalls 
or  whatever  may  be  the  equivalent  in  feminine  attire.  This 
will  be  a  real  Wild  West  affair  I  can  tell  you;  and  you 
will  have  a  chance  to  see  us  en  fete.  I  assure  you  we  are 
quite  different  from  what  we  are  when  grubbing  in  the 
ground  or  chopping  in  the  woods.  Dicky  could  perhaps 
go  along  too  if  he  likes  to  sit  in  the  back  of  the  buggy  with 
his  legs  hanging  out.  They  are  not  so  long  that  it  would 
hurt  them  for  half  an  hour  I  suppose." 

"Oh  gee,  but  that  would  be  fine,"  cried  Dick  gleefully. 
"Aw  now,  do  say  you'll  go,  Marjorie,"  he  pleaded. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  for  her  to  submit,  which 
she  did  with  a  good  grace ;  though  she  would  have  refused 
had  it  been  possible.  At  the  same  time  she  could  not  deny 
that  the  prospect  of  the  outing  itself  was  pleasing  enough 
but  she  felt  a  little  uncomfortable  about  going  with  Mr. 
Leicester.  However,  she  appreciated  his  kindness  in  ask- 
ing her. 

"It  was  just  touch  and  go,  young  man,"  he  said  to  him* 
self  as  she  rose  to  put  her  things  on;  "and  she  wouldn't 
have  gone  certainly  if  you  hadn't  asked  Dicky.  A  nice 
thing  to  take  Cupid  along  for  a  chaperone !" 

Ten  minutes  later  they  were  speeding  along  the  road. 


io8  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

There  was  a  bright  moon  shining  and,  as  the  ground  was 
hard,  the  going  was  good.  The  horses  were  fresh  and 
Marjorie  admired  the  capable  way  in  which  Keith  handled 
the  lines. 

"Is  there  much  musical  talent  around  this  district?" 
she  said  after  a  while  when  the  team  had  steadied  down 
somewhat. 

"I'm  sure  I  really  don't  know,"  said  Keith,  taken  off  his 
guard  and  forgetting  that  he  had  been  posing  as  one  who 
was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  class  of  entertainment 
that  they  were  going  to.  "That  is  to  say,"  he  amended 
hastily  as  he  suddenly  remembered,  "it  changes  about  a 
good  deal,  people  coming  and  going  you  know.  You  heard 
the  capabilities  of  the  Brayton  choir.  There  is  a  very  en- 
thusiastic choir  down  at  the  church  here  in  Portlake — it 
takes  itself  very  seriously ;  and  what  it  lacks  in  harmony  it 
makes  up  in  volume.  I  do  not  imagine,  however,  that  we 
shall  have  a  very  high  order  of  musical  treat  to-night.  I 
wish  you  were  going  to  sing  some  grand  opera." 

"How  do  you  know  I  sing  grand  opera?"  she  asked 
with  just  a  suspicion  of  tension  in  her  voice.  She  was 
thinking  of  the  night  when  she  had  danced  by  the  creek 
and  wondering  if  he  had  been  there. 

"Oh,  Dicky  has  told  me  of  the  wonderful  trills  you  can 
negotiate.  Trills,  I  imagine,  were  a  complete  novelty  to 
him  before  you  came  along,"  Keith  replied.  He  was 
aware  he  was  skating  upon  thin  ice  but  the  darkness 
favoured  him. 

"I'm  afraid  Dicky  is  a  great  chatterbox.  I  shall  have 
to  provide  him  with  a  gag." 

"Oh  don't  do  that  I  pray.  One  should  never  gag  one's 
devoted  admirers ;  better  to  furnish  them  with  trumpets." 

"Are  you  taking  part  yourself?"  she  asked  changing 
from  the  defence  to  the  attack  with  disconcerting  sudden- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  109 

ness.  "I  haven't  heard  whether  you  sing  or  not  although  I 
know  all  about  your  prowess  as  a  hunter  and  an  oarsman." 

"Ah  now,  that  is  too  bad,"  Keith  parried.  "How  one's 
indiscretions  rise  up  to  shame  one.  The  young  rascal  is 
a  double  traitor  and  sells  his  news  in  both  camps.  No, 
I'm  not  going  to  take  part.  I  am  fond  of  singing  really, 
though  I  haven't  had  any  opportunity  for  it  since  I  came 
out  here." 

"I  suppose  there  are  not  many  of  the  first-class  artists 
come  out  here  to  the  West,  are  there  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed;  we  have  had  Paderewski  and  Mischa 
Elman,  the  violinist,  in  Vancouver,  and  Melba  and  Calve 
among  the  singers.  Clara  Butt  was  here  not  long  ago.  I 
went  down  to  hear  her  and  it  was  certainly  a  great  treat. 
Then  there  was  Bessie  Abbott  in  De  Koven's  opera  of 
'Robin  Hood;'  that  was  worth  while.  The  company  sup- 
porting her  was  very  good.  Oh,  nearly  all  the  stars  get 
out  here  in  time  although  since  I  came  I  have  only  man- 
aged to  get  down  to  hear  two  or  three." 

-"What  about  Grand  Opera  ?" 

"We  don't  get  much  of  that,  I'm  afraid.  Vancouver  is 
too  far  away  from  every  place  to  make  it  pay  to  bring  good 
grand  opera  here — and  too  small  a  town.  As  yet  the  music- 
loving  public  is  small — that  is,  high-class  music,  of  course, 
I  am  referring  to,  but  it  is  steadily  growing.  Good  artists 
can  always  depend  on  a  good  house." 

On  this  common  ground  of  music  they  found  ample  food 
'for  conversation  and  each  discovered  that  the  other  was 
well  up  on  the  subject.  Both  were  familiar  with  the  lead- 
ing stars  of  the  Grand  Opera  stage;  Marjorie  was  so  in- 
terested in  the  talk  that  she  found  they  were  at  the  hah 
before  she  realised  it. 

It  was  a  rough,  wooden  barn  of  a  place  and  there  were 
several  people  standing  by  the  door.  Keith  drove  the  team 


no  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

around  to  a  large  shed  at  the  rear  where  he  tied  them  up. 
The  hall  was  more  than  half  filled  when  they  entered  and 
Marjorie  felt  that  many  curious  eyes  were  on  her  as  they 
walked  up  the  aisle  and  took  a  seat  well  to  the  front. 

The  place  was  decorated  with  branches  of  the  salmon- 
berry  covered  with  its  pink  blossoms  and  other  greens,  and 
the  effect  of  these  set  off  with  streamers  of  red,  white  and 
blue  bunting  against  the  dark  wooden  walls  of  the  building 
was  pleasing  and  effective.  There  was  a  raised  platform, 
at  the  end  which  was  fenced  by  a  row  of  potted  plants; 
and  the  chairman  had  already  taken  his  seat  at  the  small 
table  in  the  centre  of  it,  which  was  draped  with  a  large 
Union  Jack.  Down  below  in  front  of  him  an  orchestra  of 
five  pieces  was  already  tuning  up. 

"That  is  Mr.  Arbuthnot  in  the  chair/'  whispered  Keith". 
"He  has  one  of  the  finest  places  in  the  municipality.  You 
will  meet  his  wife  later.  She  is,  I  believe,  the  local  arbiter 
and  society  queen." 

"Is  the  orchestra  local  too?"  asked  Marjorie,  "or  is  it 
imported  for  the  occasion?" 

"Oh,  I  rather  fancy  it  is  imported  from  Westminster — 
I  suppose  that  I  should  say  New  Westminster,"  corrected 
Keith,  "to  one  so  lately  from  London.  But  the  perform- 
ance is  about  to  begin." 

The  hall  was  now  full  and  the  Chairman  rose  and  after 
a  short  speech  called  upon  the  orchestra  to  perform.  The 
selection  was  "The  Barcarolle"  from  "Tales  of  Hoffman ;" 
and  it  was  played  with  considerable  taste  and  expression. 
Then  followed  a  tenor  solo  by  Mr.  Snooks,  a  very  tall 
gentleman  with  a  melancholy  cast  of  countenance.  His 
song  was  "Come  Into  the  Garden,  Maud,"  which  he  ren- 
dered with  a  voice  and  expression  in  keeping  with  his  ap- 
pearance, the  higher  the  notes  the  more  thin  .and  quavery 
his  tones  and  the  more  strained  and  unhappy  the  contor- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  in 

tions  of  his  features.  However,  the  audience  appeared  to 
enjoy  it  and  rapturously  encored  the  number. 

"If  that  is  the  way  Tennyson  sang  it  to  her/'  whispered 
Marjorie  as  Mr.  Snooks  was  looking  out  his  music  for 
the  encore,  "I'm  sure  Maud  never  came  out  into  the  gar- 
den." 

"No,  she  certainly  couldn't  have  found  it  very  inviting 
to  listen  to  that.  You  know  the  way  Leigh  makes  her 
answer  him,"  and  he  quoted  sotto  voce: 

"You  Jiad  better  at  once  hurry  home,  dear,  to  ~bed, 

It  is  getting  so  dreadfully  late. 
Ton  may  catch  the  bronchitis  or  cold  in  the  head 
If  you  linger  so  long  at  the  gate!" 

Mr.  Snooks  now  sang  "Asthore"  with  an  intensifica- 
tion of  sadness  that  made  his  previous  song  by  comparison 
seem  like  a  roundelay,  and  the  audience  this  time  appeared 
to  find  the  song  depressing  for  there  was  but  a  faint  ap; 
plause  at  the  end.  The  next  item,  a  humorous  recitation  by 
a  girl  of  about  fifteen,  was  heartily  welcomed  as  a  sort  of 
antidote.  Then  the  orchestra  played  again  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  Miss  Arbuthnot,  the  chairman's  daughter,  a 
young  lady  in  pink  who  sang  "The  Arrow  and  the  Song," 
and  an  encore. 

Then  came  an  imitation  of  a  Chinese  laundryman  given 
by  the  blacksmith  in  which  the  Chinaman  is  interviewed 
by  a  customer  who  calls  to  take  home  his  laundry.  This  was 
very  amusing  to  Marjorie  who  had  never  seen  much  of 
Chinamen  and  she  laughed  very  heartily  over  it.  Another 
two  songs  and  an  orchestral  selection  closed  the  programme 
and  the  chairman  announced  that  the  floor  would  be  cleared 
for  dancing.  In  a  moment,  the  audience  was  on  its  feet 
and  the  whole  place  was  in  confusion  as  a  number  of  the 
younger  men  cleared  away  the  chairs  from  the  floor,  lined 


112  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

them  around  the  wall  or  carried  them  out.  Keith  seized 
the  opportunity  to  introduce  Marjorie  to  the  chairman's 
wife  and  daughter  who  had  been  sitting  near  them. 

"This  is  Mrs.  Arbuthnot,  Miss  Coon,  and  Miss  Arbuth- 
not,"  he  said.  "Miss  Coon  is  staying  with  Mrs.  Bolton." 

"Yes,"  said  the  elderly  lady  bowing  rather  coldly;  "I 
had  heard  that  Mrs.  Bolton  had  some  one  helping  her." 

Miss  Arbuthnot  did  not  look  any  more  kindly  at  Mar- 
jorie than  her  mother  had  done ;  indeed  her  glance  was  ex- 
pressive of  anything  but  goodwill. 

"We  may  feel  greatly  honoured  to-night,  I  am  sure," 
she  said  to  Keith.  "This  is  the  first  time  you  have  ever 
been  to  one  of  our  little  affairs,  is  it  not  ?" 

Keith  coloured  but  he  countered  bravely. 

"The  fame  of  them  has  become  so  insistent  that  one 
could  not  stay  away  any  longer,"  he  said.  "Besides  were 
not  you  going  to  sing  ?" 

"Ah,  I'm  afraid  there  were  other  attractions,"  and  she 
smiled  somewhat  disagreeably  at  Marjorie. 

"I  see  that  the  dancing  is  going  to  begin,"  said  Keith, 
not  relishing  the  turn  that  the  conversation  was  taking.  "I 
wonder  if  you  would  be  good  enough  to  show  Miss  Coon 
the  dressing  room.  Do  not  be  long,  please,"  he  added  turn- 
ing to  the  latter,  "as  I  would  like  to  have  this  dance." 

Miss  Arbuthnot  assented  with  none  too  good  a  grace  and 
the  two  girls  walked  on7  together  to  the  dressing-room 
which  was  at  one  corner  of  the  hall.  Mrs.  Arbuthnot 
then  turned  away,  evidently  not  too  pleased  at  having  been 
introduced  to  the  Bolton  hired  girl;  and  Keith  sat  down 
and  waited  till  Marjorie  appeared.  She  was  not  long,  but 
she  came  back  alone. 

"I  fear  that  I  am  persona  non  grata  in  Portlake  society," 
she  said  with  a  little  smile,  half  of  amusement  and  half  of 
annoyance.  "Your  social  arbiter  has  frowned  upon  me; 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  113 

I  suppose  my  position  with  Mrs.  Bolton  puts  me  outside 
the  pale." 

"Too  bad,  the  old  cat !"  he  sympathised ;  "but  you  shall 
succeed  in  spite  of  her.  I  want  the  first  dance  myself  and 
after  that  I  shall  devote  my  attention  to  making  you  popu- 
lar. Unfortunately  I'm  afraid  that  I'm  rather  an  outsider 
myself." 

The  floor  had  now  been  cleared  and  there  were  already 
about  twenty  couples  up ;  and  the  orchestra  began  to  play  a 
waltz.  The  ladies  were  dressed  some  very  simply  and 
others  with  considerable  pretension  to  style;  and  the  gar- 
ments of  the  men  ranged  from  rough  tweed  and  serge  to 
evening  dress.  Everywhere  there  was  a  free-and-easy  air, 
and  every  one  seemed  to  be  hail-fellow-well-met  with  each 
other.  Many  nodded  or  bowed  to  Keith  and  glanced  with 
some  curiosity  and  often  a  knowing  little  smile  at  his 
partner. 

They  stood  watching  the  dancers  for  a  minute  or  two. 
Some  couples  worked  their  hands  up  and  down  in  pump- 
handle  fashion,  others  waltzed  around  in  a  regular  bear- 
hug  or  swayed  back  and  forward  like  ships  in  a  heavy  sea, 
and  there  was  great  variety  of  styles.  Marjorie's  face  was 
a  study  of  wonder  and  amusement. 

"How  they  do  enjoy  themselves,"  she  said.  "How  fine  it 
must  be  to  be  lighthearted  like  that,"  and  she  sighed.  "But 
you  want  to  be  dancing  too ;"  and  she  put  her  hand  on  his 
shoulder  and  they  glided  off. 

She  waltzed  lightly  and  well  and  Keith  who  had  not 
danced  for  years  found  he  was  enjoying  himself  im- 
mensely. She  was  wearing  a  simple  white  silk  gown  cut 
open  at  the  throat ;  and  Keith  though  outwardly  calm  and 
composed  felt  his  heart  beating  rather  wildly  as  he  looked 
at  her. 

"Dick,  my  boy,"  he  was  thinking  to  himself,  "you  have 


114  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

let  me  in  for  it  right  enough,  you  mischievous  little  cupid. 
And  nothing  more  than  a  servant  girl  as  far  as  appearances 
go,  except  for  certain  signs  of  breeding  that  she  shows! 
It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  a  tragic  business." 

While  his  thoughts  were  busy  thus  he  managed  to  mur- 
mur some  kind  of  answer  to  the  girl's  remarks ;  but,  for- 
tunately, she  too,  was  deep  in  her  thoughts  and  did  not  say 
much.  When  the  dance  was  ended,  he  introduced  her  to 
some  of  the  young  fellows.  They  would  have  been  glad  to 
take  her  for  a  partner  but  she  said  she  would  rather  not 
dance  any  more.  However,  not  to  appear  singular,  she 
consented  to  dance  with  two  of  them,  one  for  a  two-step  and 
the  other  for  the  Lancers,  so  Keith  was  left  to  his  own  re- 
sources. He  did  not  want  to  dance  with  any  one  else ;  but 
an  energetic  master  of  ceremonies  routed  him  out  and 
made  him  do  his  duty  by  one  of  the  wall  flowers  that  had 
been  left  unappropriated.  However,  at  the  finish  of  the 
Lancers,  he  took  her  away  from  the  perspiring  young  lum- 
berman who  had  just  been  her  partner  and  suggested  that 
they  have  some  refreshments.  First  of  all,  though,  they 
hunted  up  Dicky  whom  they  found  engaged  in  a  game  of 
rough-and-tumble  in  the  vestibule  with  four  other  boys, 
evidently  choice  spirits  to  judge  by  the  manner  in  which 
legs  and  arms  and  bodies  generally  were  mixed  up  in  a 
wriggling  mass  on  the  floor.  However,  by  taking  hold  of 
a  leg  that  appeared  to  belong  to  Dicky,  Keith  was  able  by 
one  or  two  vigorous  pulls  to  disentangle  it ;  and  the  boy 
was  placed  upright  appearing  very  red  in  the  face,  hair 
dishevelled,  and  with  clothes  covered  with  dust  but  other- 
wise none  the  worse. 

"We  been  havin'  a  game,"  he  gasped  somewhat1  apolo- 
getically as  he  saw  who  it  was.     "Were  you  lookin'  for 
me?" 
%  "We're  going  to  see  if  we  can  get  some  ice-cream  and  we 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  115 

wanted  you  to  join  us.  Maybe  your  friends  would  like  a 
little  too  as  you  all  seem  to  be  rather  warm  after  your 
exercise." 

"Perhaps  if  you  stepped  outside  the  door  and  dusted  eachi 
other  off  though  it  would  be  better,"  added  Marjorie  smil- 
ingly, "or  they  may  put  us  all  out  for  tramps." 

Grinning  shyly  and  much  pleased  at  the  prospect,  the 
boys  did  as  they  were  bid;  and  then  the  whole  party  en- 
tered the  hall  again  and  took  possession  of  one  of  the  re- 
freshment tables. 

The  ice-cream  and  cake  was  ten  cents  a  helping  and 
Dick  was  in  high  spirits,  being  proud  of  the  glory  re- 
flected upon  him  by  Keith's  generosity  to  his  chums.  These 
were  too  shy  to  say  much  but  they  did  ample  justice  to  the 
ice-cream;  and  their  satisfaction  was  doubled  when  their 
host  called  for  an  extra  portion  all  round.  Such  lavishness 
had  never  been  known  in  their  experience.  Marjorie,  too, 
had  surrendered  herself  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion 
and  increased  the  merriment  by  making  foolscaps  for  all 
of  them  out  of  the  paper  napkins. 

"The  happiness  of  children  is  so  cheaply  purchased," 
said  Keith;  "and  it  is  so  pure  and  unalloyed  that  I'm  sur- 
prised often  that  older  people  are  so  indifferent  about  se- 
curing it  when  there  is  a  chance." 

"You  have  certainly  made  five  of  them  very  happy  to- 
night," said  Marjorie  smiling.  "I  daresay  they  think  you 
are  a  kind  of  god." 

"When  one  is  happy  oneself,  one  is  more  apt  to  wish 
others  to  be  so;  and  to  play  the  bountiful  is  one  of  the 
choicest  forms  of  self-indulgence,"  Keith  answered  with  a 
modest  air  of  deprecation. 

"It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  bring  me  here  to-night  I'm 
sure.  I  really  have  enjoyed  myself,"  she  said  gratefully. 

"I  told  him  that  you  would  like "  began  Dick  ex- 


Ii6  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

ultantly;  but  stopped  short  conscience-stricken  as  he  re- 
membered that  he  had  promised  to  keep  secret  the  fact  that 
he  had  asked  Mr.  Leicester  to  take  her  to  the  dance.  His 
little  face  grew  scarlet;  and  he  glanced  up  at  the  latter 
with  such  a  face  of  conscious  guilt  that  Marjorie  could 
not  help  noticing  that  something  was  wrong. 

"What  did  you  say,  Dicky  ?"  she  asked. 

"I  told  Mr.  Leicester  that "  Dicky  floundered  miser- 
ably, "that  you — that  Mother  would  like  you  to  go." 

"Oh!  so  you  went  over  to  ask  him  to  bring  me?"  and 
again  Miss  Coon's  voice  took  on  a  tone  of  displeasure  that 
Dick  had  heard  once  or  twice  before.  "And  what  did  Mr. 
Leicester  say  to  that  ?" 

Dick  glanced  up  miserably  to  Keith  for  guidance,  but 
there  was  no  help  there.  He  was  gazing  sternly  in  front 
of  him;  and  would  not  look  at  Dicky  at  all.  The  atmos- 
phere was  tense;  only  the  four  other  boys  ate  calmly  at 
their  ice-cream  all  unconscious  of  anything  untoward  in 
the  situation.  Instants  of  agony  passed  for  Dicky  and 
still  Marjorie  waited  expectant  and  Mr.  Leicester  would 
not  look  at  him. 

"He  said  I  should  have  wings  and  a  bow  and  arrows," 
he  said  at  last  in  desperation,  this  being  the  only  thing 
outstanding  that  he  could  remember  in  his  distress.  "I 
didn't  know  what  he  meant." 

On  Keith's  face  the  ghost  of  a  smile  flickered  for  a  mo- 
ment but  it  was  a  smile  of  tragedy.  It  was  followed  by  a 
wave  of  crimson  that  swept  in  a  flood  over  cheek  and  brow 
and  ear. 

"The  fat  is  in  the  fire  now!"  he  said  to  himself. 

Marjorie  flushed  and  then  went  pale.  She  turned  and 
looked  straight  at  Keith  and  his  confusion  was  witness  to 
the  truth.  She  smiled  a  rather  bitter,  little  smile. 

"If  I  had  known  that  you  were  bringing  me  because 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  117 

Mrs.  Bolton  and  Dicky  asked  you  to,  of  course,  I  should 
not  have  allowed  you  to  trouble  yourself,"  she  said.  "I 
should  like  to  go  home  now  if  you  please,"  and  she  rose 
abruptly.  "If  you  will  get  the  horses  I  shall  put  my 
things  on  and  be  at  the  door  ready;"  and  she  moved 
towards  the  dressing  room. 

Here  she  found  Miss  Arbuthnot  who  was  readjusting 
her  flowers  before  the  glass. 

"Are  you  going  home  already?"  she  said  as  Marjorie 
began  to  put  on  her  things.  "I  thought  you  seemed  to 
be  having  a  good  time  the  way  you  were  dancing." 

"Yes,  you  see  we  have  a  long  way  to  go  and  I  have 
to  be  up  early." 

"I  guess  it  ain't  any  fun  to  dance  all  night  an'  then 
get  up  at  half  past  five  or  so  in  the  morning.  I'm  glad 
I  don't  have  to  do  it.  Say,  that  Mr.  Leicester  is  some 
dancer,  ain't  he  ?  Funny  he  don't  seem  to  go  with  the 
girls  in  his  own  rank.  He  likes  to  have  a  good  time 
with  working  girls  like  you  an'  it  doesn't  lead  to  any- 
thin',  of  course.  It's  kin'  o'  hard  on  the  girls  though. 
Oh,  she's  gone,  is  she?"  she  concluded  in  some  disap- 
pointment as  Marjorie,  not  waiting  to  say  good-night, 
hurried  from  the  room. 

On  the  drive  home,  little  was  said;  and  what  'conver- 
sation there  was,  was  forced  and  disjointed.  Dicky 
tried  hard  to  thaw  the  ice  between  his  two  elders  but 
without  success.  Marjorie  felt  hurt  and  humiliated ;  Keith  ' 
sympathised  with  her  feelings  but  he  felt  it  was  not  his 
fault. 

"If  it  hadn't  been  that  remark  about  the  wings  and 
the  bow  and  arrows,  she  might  have  forgiven  it,"  he 
thought;  "but  she's  as  proud  as  Lucifer  and  I'm  afraid 
it's  all  up.  Everything  was  going  so  nicely  too,"  and  he 
began  to  whistle  from  sheer  vexation.  As  luck  would 


ii8  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

have  it,  the  tune  that  came  first  to  his  lips  was  the  one 
that  had  haunted  him  for  the  last  week :  "I  Dreamt  That 
I  Dwelt  in  Marble  Halls."  He  had  just  whistled  the  first 
few  bars  when  he  stopped  abruptly. 

"JVe  put  my  foot  in  it  again,"  he  thought. 

"Why  that's  the  song  that  Marjorie  sings,"  said  Dicky 
who  had  been  invited  to  sit  in  the  middle  on  the  seat  in- 
stead of  behind  with  his  legs  dangling  out  as  on  the  drive 
in. 

"Did  you  hear  it  the  other  night  ?  We  saw  Caesar  and 
I  thought  you  must  have  been  there.  Why  didn't  you 
let  us  know  ?" 

Keith  gave  the  horses  a  cut  with  the  whip  startling 
them  into  a  quick  trot  and  he  found  it  hard  work  to  hold 
them. 

"Oh  Dicky,  Dicky,  you're  a  regular  enfant  terrible. 
I  should  like  to  smother  you,"  he  was  thinking. 

Marjorie  kept  silence;  but  her  farewell  when  they  ar- 
rived at  Bolton's  was  of  the  iciest  as  she  alighted  from 
the  buggy  and  turned  in  to  the  cottage  where  the  master 
of  the  house  stood  with  the  door  open  awaiting  them. 


CHAPTEK  XV 

"'The  dream's  here  still:  even  when  I  wake  it  is 
*•  Without  me  as  within  me:  not  imagined,  felt." 

SHAKESPEARE. 

With  that  he  heard  his  dear  master, 

As  he  in  his  garden  sate; 
Says,  Ever  alacke,  my  little  page, 

What  causes  thee  to  weepe? 

OLD  BALLAD. 

the  morning  after  the  concert,  Dick  arose  early 
and  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  chores  and  without 
waiting  for  any  breakfast,  he  set  off  down  to  the  creek 
to  be  alone  with  his  misery.  For  Dick  was  very  wretched 
indeed.  After  he  had  gone  to  bed  he  had  tossed  and 
turned  for  hours,  it  had  seemed,  before  he  could  get  to 
sleep;  and  when  he  did,  he  had  been  haunted  by  the 
most  frightful  dreams  in  all  of  which  he  was  oppressed 
with  the  consciousness  of  guilt  and  the  imminence  of  dis- 
grace. In  the  one  from  which  he  had  finally  awakened 
in  a  sweat  of  horror,  he  had  fancied  himself  at  school  and 
Forrest  Eaton,  a  big  overgrown  lad  of  sixteen  who  was 
the  bully  of  the  district  although  the  dunce  of  his  class, 
had  accused  him  to  the  teacher  of  having  wings  on  his 
shoulders.  It  seemed  that  his  teacher,  Miss  Williams, 
looked  at  him  in  surprise  and  asked  if  this  was  so;  and 
all  the  boys  and  girls  turned  to  stare  at  him  with  suspi- 
cion and  aversion  in  their  gaze.  He  rose  to  his  feet  and 
tried  to  utter  a  denial  but  the  words  would  not  come ;  and 

119 


I2O  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

at  the  same  time,  he  was  conscious  of  a  peculiar  heaviness 
ahout  his  shoulders  that  he  had  never  felt  before.  Miss 
Williams  came  walking  down  the  aisle  towards  him  and, 
as  she  approached,  by  some  strange  transformation  her 
features  seemed  to  melt  into  those  of  Marjorie.  Put- 
ting her  hand  to  his  shoulder,  she  caught  hold  of  something 
white  and  glistening  that  seemed  to  be  hanging  there  and 
pulled  it  gently  towards  her.  "Oh,  Dicky!"  was  all  she 
said  in  the  most  sad  and  reproachful  tone.  Her  eyes  were 
wet  with  unshed  tears  and  her  whole  face  was  so  mourn- 
ful that  he  felt  he  must  have  sinned  without  hope  of  par- 
don; but,  at  this  point  he  awoke,  and  was  most  relieved 
to  find  that  it  was  only  a  dream. 

His  relief,  however,  was  but  short-lived;  for  when  he 
remembered  how  he  had  betrayed  Mr.  Leicester's  confi- 
dence to  Marjorie  and  how  the  two  had  parted  in  evident 
constraint  and  unfriendliness,  he  felt  that  the  real  trouble 
was  just  about  as  bad  as  the  one  he  had  dreamt  of.  After 
what  had  happened  he  felt  that  he  could  not  face  Mar- 
jorie at  the  breakfast  table,  hence  his  retreat  to  the 
friendly  solitude  of  the  canyon.  Here,  he  idled  away  the 
time  as  best  he  might  but  with  ever  the  same  heaviness 
at  heart,  ever  the  same  haunting  sense  of  the  enormity  of 
his  offense  against  his  two  best  friends.  For  a  while  he 
threw  stones  into  the  creek,  skilfully  making  them  skip 
many  times  on  the  surface  of  the  water;  then  he  dis- 
covered a  frog  to  which  without  any  consciousness  of 
cruelty,  he  afforded  an  uncomfortable  quarter  of  an  hour ; 
then  he  busied  himself  for  another  space  in  trying  to 
catch  a  chipmunk  of  a  sociable  disposition  but  still  wary 
enough  to  avoid  capture ;  but  it  was  all  a  hollow  mockery. 

At  last,  he  decided  that  he  would  go  over  to  Mr. 
Leicester  and  see  whether  there  was  any  chance  of  forgive- 
ness there.  Perhaps  he  had  not  taken  the  affair  as  hardly 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  12 1 

as  Dick  supposed  and,  in  any  case,  it  would  be  something 
gained  to  know  the  worst.  However,  just  as  he  had  made 
up  his  mind,  he  saw  Forrest  Eaton,  the  bugbear  of  his 
life  at  school  and  the  accusing  figure  of  his  dream,  saun- 
tering along  to  meet  him. 

"What  you  doin'  out  here,  Skinny  ?  You're  lookin'  kind 
o'  down  in  the  mouth,  ain't  you  ?"  said  the  latter,  coming 
to  a  stand,  with  an  unpleasant  grin  upon  his  pimply  face. 
"Your  dad's  been  givin'  you  a  lickin',  I  guess,  eh?" 

"It's  none  o'  your  business  if  he  had,  is  it  ?"  answered 
Dick  defiantly. 

"Oh,  it  ain't,  ain't  it,  smarty,"  said  the  tormentor 
promptly  knocking  off  Dick's  cap  with  a  sidesweep  of  his 
arm  and  grinning  down  upon  him  with  the  same  malicious 
leer. 

The  smaller  boy  cast  prudence  to  the  winds.  The  horror 
of  his  dream  came  back  to  him  and  Forrest's  part  in  it. 
This,  joined  to  the  memory  of  all  the  petty  persecutions 
he  had  suffered  in  the  past,  filled  him  with  a  sudden  pas- 
sion of  rage;  and  he  rushed  like  a  little  fury,  with  both 
fists  levelled,  at  his  enemy.  He  got  home  with  both  of 
them,  too ;  but  only  on  the  body,  as  Forrest  stood  above  him 
on  the  side-hill  and  he  was  unable  to  reach  to  his  face. 
The  big  boy  fell,  however,  but  in  the  impetuosity  of  his 
rush,  Dick  fell  too ;  and  as  he  was  lower  down,  his  enemy 
quickly  recovering  from  his  astonishment,  managed  to  roll 
over  on  top  of  him.  There  was  a  brief  struggle  and  Dick 
fought  like  a  wildcat ;  but  the  odds  of  weight  and  strength 
against  him  were  too  great.  Soon,  the  big  boy  had  him 
flat  on  his  back  and  was  sitting  on  his  chest  with  his  knees 
pinning  his  victim's  arms  helpless  to  the  ground,  his  ugly 
face  flushed  with  victory  gloating  down  upon  Dick's  which 
was  eloquent  of  defiance. 

"So,  ye  thought  ye  would,  did  you,  eh  ?"  said  the  boy  on 


122  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

top  still  breathing  heavily.  "  'Tain't  no  business  of  mine, 
ain't  it  ?  Oh  no,  I  suppose  not ;"  and  he  emphasised  each 
remark  with  one  or  two  vicious  slaps  on  the  smaller  boy's 
face.  "Maybe  ye'll  tell  me  now  what  I  asked  you,  will 
you?" 

Dick  set  his  teeth  tight  and  answered  not  a  word.  He 
felt  he  would  rather  die  than  speak  and  he  lay  still  looking 
up  helplessly  at  his  enemy.  The  latter  tried  hard  to  shake 
his  resolution  but  without  avail.  Neither  threats  nor 
taunts  nor  the  sharp  stinging  pain  nor  the  tumultuous 
beating  of  his  pulses  would  move  him. 

"All  right  then,"  said  the  big  boy  out  of  patience;  "if 
your  dad  didn't  give  you  a  licking,  I  will.  I'll  teach  you 
not  to  get  gay  with  me  again;"  and  he  began  to  pommel 
his  victim  unmercifully.  Dicky  endured  manfully — the 
despair  of  the  morning  had  lent  him  fortitude — but  he 
could  not  have  stood  the  punishment  much  longer.  How- 
ever, an  interruption  occurred  which  saved  him  from  faint- 
ing under  it  or  from  the  shame  of  surrender.  Csesar  had 
come  bounding  down  the  bank  and  stood  a  few  paces  off 
astonished  at  the  curious  sight  before  him.  One  ear  was 
cocked  forward  and  one  was  back,  betraying  his  bewilder- 
ment as  of  one  who  should  say,  "Whatever  in  the  world 
have  we  here  ?" 

Dick,  hearing  the  sound  of  his  descent  and  looking  round 
for  a  possible  ally,  soon  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  and 
called  out  to  him.  The  dog  came  over  and  licked  his  face, 
looking  enquiringly  at  Forrest  who  had  desisted  for  a 
moment  from  tormenting  his  victim.  Then  he  growled 
at  the  former,  showing  a  gleaming  set  of  ivories  well 
sharpened  for  service.  Forrest  began  to  feel  nervous. 
Dick  broke  silence  at  last,  his  shrill  treble  trembling  with 
passion. 

"If  you  don't  get  off  I'll  sick  him  on  you,"  he  cried. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  123 

The  threat  was  at  once  effective  for  Forrest  quickly 
rose  to  his  feet  and  slunk  off  down  the  trail  glancing  ner- 
vously behind  him  as  though  uncertain  as  to  whether  Dick 
might  not  even  yet  carry  out  his  threat.  The  latter  pale 
but  still  defiant,  rising  stiffly  and  putting  his  arm  around 
the  dog,  contented  himself  with  shouting  all  the  abusive 
and  contemptuous  names  that  his  vocabulary  could  fur- 
nish after  the  retreating  foe.  When  he  was  no  longer 
in  sight,  however,  his  pose  relaxed,  the  animation  seemed 
to  fade  from  the  pale  face  and  he  turned  a  very  sore  and 
downcast  little  figure,  to  climb  the  path  that  led  to  Mr. 
Leicester's  orchard.  The  beating  he  had  received,  severe 
as  it  had  been,  had  not  availed  to  drive  away  the  trouble 
he  had  awakened  to  and  he  was  still  bent  on  finding  out 
the  worst  from  Mr.  Leicester. 

As  it  happened,  the  latter  was  out  in  the  orchard  going 
around  his  four-year-old  apple  trees.  Some  of  them  were 
covered  with  caterpillars  which  were  devouring  the  tender 
young  leaves  and  it  was  his  task  to  strip  these  off  into  a 
basket,  later  to  be  burned  in  the  kitchen  stove. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  the  havoc  that  had  al- 
ready been  wrought  by  the  slimy  creatures  and  did  not  tend 
to  gladden  Keith's  otherwise  unenviable  frame  of  mind. 

"Nature  certainly  symbolises  truly  the  state  of  man,"  he 
philosophised.  "Here  were  these  thriving  young  trees  just 
doing  splendidly  and,  in  a  night  almost,  they  are  covered 
with  a  horde  of  wretched  slugs  and  all  their  promise 
blighted.  Last  night  I  was  as  happy  as  a  king — thought 
I  had  found  my  affinity — and  then  that  wretched  Dicky 
upsets  the  whole  apple-cart.  Old  Shakespeare  hit  it  right 
as  he  always  did :  What  is  it  ? 

''To-day  he  puts  forth 

The  tender  leaves  of  hope;  to-morrow  blossoms  .  .  . 
The  third  day  comes  a  frost." 


124  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

I'm  afraid  in  my  case  the  frost  came  before  I  had  a 
chance  to  blossom,  or  rather  the  caterpillars  took  my  tender 
leaves.  The  old  bard  must  have  come  through  the  mill 
himself;  at  least,  he  seems  to  have  sized  up  life's  little 
ironies  correctly.  Oh,  well,  he  came  through  safely  enough 
and  I  daresay  so  shall  we." 

As  he  was  musing  thus,  he  was  suddenly  aware  of  a 
small  figure  that  stood  beside  him,  a  figure  that  was  elo- 
quent in  every  line  of  misery  and  contrition.  Keith, 
however,  was  too  intent  on  his  work  to  take  much  notice. 

"Hello,  Dicky,"  he  said ;  "how  goes  it  this  morning  ?" 

"I've  come  over  to  say — to  say  I'm  sorry,"  was  the  husky 
reply. 

"Eh,  what's  that  you're  saying  ?"  asked  Keith,  still  pro- 
ceeding with  his  work. 

Dicky  swallowed  hard  finding  it  difficult  to  go  on. 

"You  know,  last  night,"  he  stammered,  "I  told  Marjorie 
after  I  had  promised  not  to." 

"Yes,  it's  true;  you  made  rather  a  mess  of  it,"  said 
Keith  still  snipping  away  at  the  caterpillars ;  "but  I  don't 
think  there  is  any  need  for  an  apology,  is  there  ?"  and  he 
turned  to  the  boy  with  a  smile,  noting  for  the  first  time 
his  appearance  of  utter  dejection.  "You  haven't  been 
doing  anything  awful,  have  you?" 

Dicky  was  tracing  imaginary  figures  on  the  ground  with 
his  foot  and  his  hazel  eyes  were  turned  down.  He  was 
still  trying  to  swallow  the  lump  in  his  throat  and  finding 
it  impossible. 

"You  said  that — that,"  he  stammered,  "if  I  told  her 
anything  about  me  havin'  told  you  to  ask  her  to  the  dance 
I'd  catch  it  from  you ;  an'  I  sure  promised  not  to  an'  then 
— an'  then,  I  forgot  all  about  it  till  it  was  out  and  she 
made  me  tell  her  the  rest  'n  she  wouldn't  speak  to  you 
after  it" — Dicky  had  found  his  tongue  at  last  and  the 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  125 

words  came  like  a  flood — "an'  I  wanted  her  to  like  you." 

"Yes,  I  know,  Dicky,  and  so  did  I;  and  I'm  rather 
afraid  now  she  hates  me  for  she's  a  very  proud  little  lady. 
It  would  make  all  the  difference  to  her,  you  see,  whether 
I  asked  her  because  I  wanted  to  myself  or  because  you 
and  your  mother  asked  me  to.  That  is  why  I  particularly 
told  you  to  keep  your  mouth  shut.  Still  I  know  very 
well  you  didn't  mean  to  betray  me — it  just  slipped  out 
before  you  knew  it — and  I  don't  bear  any  ill-feeling  about 
it." 

Still  Dicky  was  not  satisfied. 

"Marjorie  won't  like  me  any  more  and  you  won't  either," 
he  persisted;  but  his  voice  had  a  faint  intonation  of  hope 
as  of  one  who  foretells  the  worst  but  would  like  to  be 
contradicted. 

"But  I  don't  hold  it  up  against  you,  Dick,  and  I  am 
sure  Marjorie  wouldn't  either,"  said  Keith,  trying  to 
bring  a  smile  to  the  woebegone  face.  "  'The  tongue  is  an 
unruly  member,'  and  you  are  finding  the  truth  of  it  early, 
that's  all.  Cheer  up  and  don't  you  worry  over  it  any 
more." 

The  few  words  of  kindness  where  he  had  expected  blame 
and  the  revulsion  of  feeling  they  caused,  accomplished 
what  all  Forrest  Eaton's  pommelling  had  failed  to  do  and 
the  tears  started  to  the  boy's  eyes.  It  had  been  a  trying 
morning  and  he  was  faint  with  hunger  and  the  pain  of  his 
recent  ill-treatment. 

"I'm  going  home  now,"  he  said  huskily,  and  his  lip 
quivered  as  he  turned  away. 

Keith  glancing  sideways  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  suf- 
fering little  face  and  marked  the  boy's  dejected  mien  and 
the  stiffness  of  his  walk.  He  laid  down  his  basket  and 
sprang  after  him. 


126  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Why,  what's  the  matter,  Dicky,  you're  walking  quite 
lame  ?"  he  asked,  putting  his  arm  on  the  boy's  shoulder  to 
comfort  him.  "Have  you  hurt  yourself  ?'; 

"I — I've  had  a  sort  of — a  sort  of  an  accident,"  faltered 
Dick  trying  hard  to  force  down  the  sobs  that  would  come. 
"I  didn't  mean  to  cry,"  he  said  in  excuse.  "I  haven't 
had  any  breakfast  yet  an'  I  guess  I'm  hungry." 

teYou  haven't  had  breakfast  yet !  Why,  you  poor  boy ! 
What's  the  reason  of  that  ?" 

"I  came  away  before  they  were  up  'cos  I  didn't  like 
to  meet  Marjorie  after  last  night;  an'  for  a  long  time — I 
was  afraid  to  come  and  meet  you.  You  don't  think  she'll 
leave  Mother,  do  you,  for  this?" 

"IsTc  danger  of  that,  Dick,  so  cheer  up.  It'll  be  all  right 
in  a  day  or  two.  I'll  soon  make  it  up  with  her  as  well, 
you'll  see  before  very  long;  and  we'll  all  be  good  friends 
again.  You  may  be  worthy  of  your  bow  and  arrows  yet ; 
though  to  mention  them,  Dicky,  was  the  worst  break  you 
made  of  all.  There  are  double  meanings  we  grown  folk 
sometimes  have  when  we  speak  that  are  beyond  the  under- 
standing of  small  boys.  The  bow  and  arrows  was  one 
of  them;  but  I  think  you  had  better  not  try  to  find  out 
about  it,  in  case  of  further  disaster.  And,  on  the  whole, 
it  would  be  as  well  if  you  shouldn't  talk  to  Marjorie  at 
all  about  me  in  the  meantime. 

"I  think  we  shall  go  over  to  the  house  now,"  he  said 
picking  up  his  basket ;  "and  you'll  get  your  face  washed — 
for  it  certainly  needs  it — and  Mrs.  Dalrymple  will  give 
you  some  breakfast." 

Under  the  cheering  effect  of  a  cup  of  hot  coffee  and  a 
plate  of  fried  bacon,  Dick's  tongue  was  soon  loosened  and 
the  full  story  of  the  morning's  misadventure  came  out.  By 
of  consolation,  Keith  promised  to  give  him  some  box- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  127 

ing  lessons  so  that  he  might  be  able  to  triumph  over  his 
enemy  in  the  future;  and  Dick  went  home  greatly  com- 
forted although  somewhat  uneasy  as  to  the  explanations 
that  might  be  required  at  home  for  his  disappearance. 


CHAPTEE  XVI 


My  conscience  Tiath  a  thousand  several  tongues. 

SHAKESPEAEE. 


MABJOEIE'S  feelings  on  the  morning  after  the  dance 
were  not  so  bitter  as  they  were  after  the  drive  home  the 
night  before.  She  still  smarted  under  the  sense  of  humili- 
ation in  the  thought  that  Keith  had  taken  her  to  the  dance, 
not  because  he  wanted  to  but  because  of  Mrs.  Bolton  and 
Dick's  asking  and  perhaps  from  a  feeling  of  pity  for  her 
loneliness.  There  seemed  to  be  two  voices  within  her, 
one  of  conscience  censorious  and  domineering  and  another 
on  the  defensive,  that  seemed  to  represent  her  other  self 
less  virtuous,  perhaps,  but  more  human ;  and  the  two  were 
carrying  on  a  warm  dispute  over  what  had  taken  place  the 
night  before. 

"It  really  wasn't  fair  to  blame  him  for  it,  at  any 
irate,  and  he  had  a  right  to  think  that  I  was  rude  and 
ungrateful,"  Conscience  argued.  "Mrs.  Bolton  was  to 
blame  if  any  one  was,  and  she  did  it  for  the  best,  no 
doubt;  but  Mr.  Leicester  deserved  to  be  thanked  instead 
of  to  be  snubbed  as  you  snubbed  him." 

"It  was  a  piece  of  presumption  in  him  to  take  me  at  all 
under  the  circumstances,"  her  Other  Self  argued. 

"At  the  very  least,  you  owe  him  an  apology,"  said  Con- 
science. "No  one  could  have  been  more  gentlemanly  and 
considerate." 

"No  doubt,  he  had  his  own  purposes  to  serve,"  was  the 

128 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  129 

reply.  "You  remember  what  Miss  Arbuthnot  said  about 
him." 

"Yes,  but  any  one  could  see  with  half  an  eye  that  she 
was  jealous;  and  she  did  not  appear  as  one  whose  word 
could  be  relied  upon,"  Conscience  objected,  not  without 
reason. 

"I  believe  he  was  hiding  behind  the  tree  when  I  was 
singing  for  Dicky  that  night  down  by  the  creek.  The  dog 
was  there  and  he  doesn't  go  anywhere  off  the  ranch  without 
his  master,  Dicky  says.  And  he  started  to  whistle  *i 
dreamt  that  I  dwelt.'  A  gentleman  would  have  gone  right 
away  or  would  have  come  forward  like  a  man  and  shown, 
himself." 

"Oh,  well,  men  are  but  human  after  all;  and  if  people 
will  dance  out  in  the  open,  they  need  not  be  annoyed  if 
somebody  comes  along  and  sees  them,"  Conscience  replied 
to  this  with  some  heat.  "There  was  nothing  very  wrong 
in  looking  at  a  girl  dancing;  and  as  for  coming  forward, 
it  would  have  been  as  awkward  for  you  as  for  him." 

"Anyway  I  am  done  with  him.  I  am  not  going  to  be 
patronised  by  any  man.  First,  he  takes  me  for  a  servant 
girl  and  now,  although  he  evidently  sees  his  mistake,  he 
continues  to  treat  me  as  one,"  said  her  Other  Self,  fanning 
her  indignation. 

"You've  acted  like  a  petulant  child.  Even  Dicky  was 
ashamed  of  you  last  night;  and  you're  ashamed  of  your- 
self now  though  you  won't  admit  it.  If  you  don't  apolo- 
gise, you'll  never  forgive  yourself,"  continued  Conscience, 
nagging  away  with  its  customary  persistence. 

And  it  kept  nagging  all  the  morning  while  she  cooked 
the  breakfast  and  carried  Mrs.  Bolton's  to  her  in  bed,  until 
she  was  heartily  sick  of  the  whole  question.  She  was 
rather  surprised  that  Dicky  had  not  appeared  for  his 
breakfast  although  she  was  relieved  to  be  spared  his  com- 


130  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

pany  for  she  felt  somewhat  guilty  with  regard  to  her 
treatment  of  him  last  night.  Bolton  himself  did  not  notice 
the  boy's  absence  but  quickly  swallowed  what  was  put  be- 
fore him  and  hurried  off  to  get  his  team  for  the  day's  work ; 
so  she  was  soon  left  to  her  own  thoughts. 

By  the  time  she  had  washed  up  the  dishes,  Mrs.  Bolton 
had  arisen;  and  was  much  distressed  when  she  found  that 
Dicky  had  not  come  in  to  his  breakfast  and  had  not  even 
been  seen  by  any  one  that  morning.  When  two  hours  had 
passed  away  and  there  was  still  no  sign  of  him,  she  be- 
came genuinely  alarmed.  Nothing  would  do  but  Marjorie 
should  go  over  to  Mr.  Leicester's  and  find  out  if  he  was 
there. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Marjorie  was  particularly  averse 
to  going  anywhere  near  Mr.  Leicester;  but  she  had  not 
the  heart  to  refuse,  so  she  set  off  without  delay. 

As  she  walked  along  the  trail  under  the  trees,  her  senses 
were  keenly  aware  of  the  deliciou^  freshness  of  the  air, 
a  freshness,  however,  that  was  redolent  of  that  essence 
of  woodland  perfumes  subtly  compounded  which  blends 
the  pungency  of  the  pine  with  the  delicacy  of  the  wood- 
violet  and  a  hundred  other  odours  which  it  is  impossible 
to  analyse.  The  creek,  too,  was  sparkling  and  foaming 
in  the  sunshine  and  the  splash  of  the  falls  filled  the  whole 
canyon,  with  its  soft  and  never-ceasing  monody.  As  she 
came  to  the  log  across,  a  chipmunk  sat  on  the  end  of  it 
and  gazed  inquisitively  at  her  for  a  few  moments  with  its 
sharp  little  eyes  as  if  to  enquire  her  business  and  to  dis- 
pute her  right  to  passage  of  the  stream,  before  it  darted 
down  the  side  and  disappeared  in  the  underbrush.  It  was 
an  ideal  day,  she  said  to  herself,  and  yet  Conscience  would 
persist  in  spoiling  it  all. 

"Now  is  your  chance,"  it  urged,  "to  apologise.  You 
jcouldn't  have  a  better  opportunity." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  131 

"Couldn't  think  of  it,"  was  the  reply.  "If  there's  any 
apology  required,  it  is  due  from  him,"  and  so,  the  two 
went  at  it. 

By  the  time  that  she  had  crossed  over  and  climbed 
half-way  up  the  high  bank,  on  the  other  side,  however,, 
pride  had  capitulated;  and  she  had  firmly  resolved  that 
there  would  be  an  apology  and  that  it  would  come  from 
her.  Perhaps  it  was  the  softening  influence  of  Dame  Na- 
ture that  helped  to  turn  the  scale. 

Just  when  Conscience  had  thus  triumphed,  however, 
happening  to  glance  around  she  was  aware  of  a  small  fig- 
ure on  the  trail  below  her.  Thinking  that  it  must  be  Dick, 
she  turned  back  to  meet  it  only  to  find  to  her  disappoint- 
ment that  it  was  not  Dick  at  all  but  Forrest  Eaton,  a 
neighbour's  boy  whom  she  had  met  at  his  father's  once 
when  she  had  gone  to  get  a  setting  of  eggs. 

Forrest  had  returned  to  look  for  a  knife  that  he  thought 
he  must  have  dropped  in  the  recent  struggle;  and  he 
flushed  rather  guiltily  when  Marjorie  asked  him  if  he  had 
seen  Dick.  He  was  aware  that  if  Dick  told  of  the  maul- 
ing he  had  given  him  and  if  complaint  should  be  made  to 
his  own  father,  there  might  be  trouble  for  him.  Mr.  Eaton 
was  aware  of  his  son's  bullying  propensities  and  had 
punished  him  before  for  a  similar  offence  to  this  one. 
It  was  true  enough  that  Dick  had  struck  the  first  blow; 
but  with  the  difference  between  them  in  age  and  size, 
Forrest  knew  that  that  would  hardly  be  reckoned  sufficient 
excuse  for  such  a  beating  as  he  had  given  Dick.  He  was  a 
boy  to  whom  it  was  almost  second  nature  to  lie  and  on 
the  impulse  of  the  moment  and  thinking  that  it  might 
stand  him  in  good  stead  if  Dick  should  tell  on  him,  he 
did  so  now. 

"Oh,  yes,  ma'am,"  he  replied  with  hardly  a  moment's 
hesitation;  "I  seen  'im  all  right,  not  long  ago  over  in  Mr. 


132  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Leicester's  orchard;  an'  Mr.  Leicester  was  lickin'  'im  for 
all  lie  was  worth.  I  guess  he  must  have  caught  'im  up  to 
somethin'." 

"Oh,  surely  that  couldn't  be,"  said  Marjorie  incredu- 
lously. "Why,  Dick  and  he  are  the  best  of  friends." 

"Mebbe  so,  ma'am,  but  I  suppose  he  must  have  caught 
him  at  somethin'  for  he  was  sure  givin'  it  to  him  good. 
Oh,  Dicky  ain't  no  such  angel  as  you  might  think,"  he 
added  winking  portentously,  having  now  quite  recovered 
from  his  momentary  confusion.  "Don't  say  nothing  to 
'im  about  it  though  or  to  his  folks,  will  you,  else  I  shouldn't 
have  told  you  2  Dad  allus  says  we  mustn't  tell  tales  out 
of  school,"  he  begged  with  a  fine  air  of  ingenuousness 
that  quite  imposed  on  Marjorie. 

"Certainly  not,  not  a  word,"  she  hastened  to  assure  him ; 
and  without  waiting  further,  he  sauntered  off  up  the 
creek. 

Marjorie  looked  after  him,  hesitating  whether  or  not 
to  call  him  back  to  ask  for  more  particulars;  but  she' 
could  not  reconcile  it  with  her  sense  of  what  was  fitting. 
The  matter  was  too  intimate  and  painful. 

What  reason  could  Mr.  Leicester  possibly  have  for 
thrashing  Dicky  when  the  two  were  always  the  best  of 
friends?  Yet  Forrest  would  hardly  be  likely  to  invent 
such  a  story.  Then  she  thought  of  the  night  before  when 
Dick's  unwitting  betrayal  had  spoilt  the  evening  for  all 
of  them.  Surely  Mr.  Leicester  could  never  have  the  heart 
to  punish  the  boy  for  that;  and  yet,  what  other  reason 
could  there  possibly  be?  None  but  a  cad  could  be  so 
cruel. 

"The  coward !"  she  said  to  herself  as  conviction  became 
more  certain,  "venting  his  spleen  on  poor  Dicky !  I  wouldn't 
have  thought  it  of  him.  Well,  there's  one  thing  sure; 
he  doesn't  deserve  any  apology  from  me;"  and  with  a 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  133 

feeling  of  relief  to  be  spared  the  humiliation,  she  turned 
homeward,  nursing  her  righteous  indignation.  She  counted 
that  she  would  be  able  to  tell  from  Dick's  manner  when 
she  saw  him  whether  or  not  Forrest's  story  were  true. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Dick  made  his  appearance  as 
Marjorie  sat  on  the  back  porch  shelling  peas.  He  walked  a 
trifle  stiffly,  she  thought,  different  from  his  usual  jaunty 
stride;  and  he  was  plainly  ill  at  ease  as  Marjorie  called 
out  to  him. 

"Why,  Dicky,  where  have  you  been  all  morning? 
Your  mother  has  been  quite  worried  about  you,"  she  said 
reproachfully;  but  her  voice  was  kindly  too. 

"Oh,  I'm  sorry,"  he  said ;  "she  might  have  known  I  was 
all  right  though.  I've  only  been  at  Mr.  Leicester's." 

"What  were  you  doing  there  so  early?"  asked  Marjorie. 

"Oh,  nothin'  much,"  said  Dick  blushing  miserably;  "I 
think  I'll  go  in  to  see  Mother." 

His  distress  was  so  manifest  that  Marjorie  had  not 
the  heart  to  question  him  further;  and  he  passed  into 
the  house. 

"I'm  afraid  it  was  true  enough,  and  there  could  be  no 
other  reason,"  she  said  to  herself;  and  while  her  pride 
took  some  satisfaction,  she  was  surprised  to  find  that  her 
main  feeling  was  one  of  sadness  as  for  a  friend  who  has 
been  found  wanting. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

The  ladie  has  left  her  father's  ha* 

And  followed  him  over  the  sea: 
O  wae's  me  that  I  sent  him  awa' 

For  puirtith's  sake!  quo  slie. 

OLD  BALLAD. 

PLOUGHING  and  planting  had  passed  and  spring  had 
turned  into  summer.  Keith  had  never  worked  harder  or 
more  faithfully  than  he  had  this  season  for  he  found  in 
physical  toil  a  certain  amount  of  relief  from  the  heart 
hunger  that  had  afflicted  him  ever  since  the  night  of  the 
dance  which  had  ended  so  disastrously. 

He  had  done  all  that  he  could  to  effect  his  reconcilia- 
tion with  Miss  Coon  but  without  success.  When  he  called 
at  the  Boltons,  which  he  had  done  several  times  on  the 
most  flimsy  excuses,  Miss  Coon,  if  he  saw  her,  was  in- 
variably civil  but  cold;  and  all  his  attempts  to  see  her 
alone  were  futile.  If  he  went  in  the  day-time,  she  seemed 
to  have  something  pressing  to  do  in  the  kitchen  while  Mrs. 
Bolton  was  left  to  entertain  him  in  the  front  parlour ;  and 
if  he  made  his  call  in  the  evening,  she  retired  to  her 
room. 

Dick  was  kept  busy  at  school  and  most  of  his  spare 
time  was  taken  up  with  the  chores  and  helping  his  father 
on  the  ranch,  so  that  Keith  did  not  see  very  much  of 
him  either.  The  boy  viewed  with  sorrow  the  estrange- 
ment between  his  friends;  but  as  he  had  promised  Keith 
not  to  talk  to  Marjorie  about  him,  he  was  unable  to 

i34 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  135 

remonstrate  with  the  latter.  She  ascribed  his  silence  to 
resentment  for  the  punishment  he  had  received;  and  feel- 
ing that  the  subject  was  probably  a  sore  one,  she  had  too 
much  delicacy  to  broach  it.  She  herself  felt  somewhat  un- 
happy over  the  line  she  had  followed  with  Mr.  Leicester 
but  she  felt  that  it  was  the  only  possible  one  after  his'- 
treatment  of  Dick.  However,  she,  too,  found  distraction- 
in  hard  work ;  for  Mrs.  Bolton  was  far  from  strong  and  it- 
was  necessary  for  the  younger  woman  to  take  most  of  the 
work  on  her  shoulders.  This  was  no  light  matter  for  one 
who  was  not  accustomed  to  it,  especially  as  the  household 
had  to  be  run  on  the  most  economical  lines;  and  her  close 
attention  to  these  duties  was  responsible  for  the  fact  that 
Keith  had  never  managed  to  surprise  her  again  in  the 
woods  alone. 

One  evening  towards  the  end  of  May,  he  had  come 
home  from  a  hard  day's  work  and  sat  down  to  dinner 
and  the  luxury  of  going  through  the  week's  mail  which 
Alec  had  brought  home  from  the  village.  The  bag  was 
bigger  than  ordinarily  and  he  sorted  its  contents  out 
with  care.  "Punch,"  the  "Sketch"  and  the  "Times" 
together  with  the  "Vancouver  Province"  he  laid  aside  for 
attention  later;  and  the  letters — there  were  several — he 
retained  for  immediate  perusal.  He  glanced  at  the  en- 
velopes. One  from  his  banker  in  Vancouver,  another  from 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  Victoria,  another  from 
an  implement  house  advising  him  of  having  mailed  him 
their  catalogue,  a  couple  of  bills  and  the  last  bore  the 
device  of  the  Chateau  Frontenac,  Quebec.  It  was  the  hand- 
writing rather  than  the  heading,  however,  that  arrested 
his  attention;  and  the  lines  of  his  face  hardened  as  he 
picked  it  up  quickly  and  broke  the  seal.  The  letter  read 
as  follows : 


136  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Dear  Keith: 

You  will  no  doubt  be  surprised  to  hear  from  me  and 
from  your  own  side  of  the  Atlantic,  too,  but  the  strange- 
ness of  this  life  of  ours  and  the  smallness  of  the  world 
we  live  in  are  platitudes  that  we  seem  never  to  tire  of. 

When  we  parted  three  years  ago  after  you  had  de- 
cided that  we  could  not  continue  friends  when  we  could 
not  be  something  closer,  I  suppose  you  thought  that  I 
had  passed  out  of  your  life  forever.  As  you  know,  that  was 
never  my  wish  but,  of  course,  I  acquiesced  in  your  decision, 
as  indeed,  I  could  not  help  myself ;  and  I  was  not  without 
the  hope  even  then  that  the  lapse  of  time  would  soften 
the  feelings  of  bitterness  that  my  action — although  to  my 
mind  the  best  for  both  of  us — was  bound  to  bring  about. 
The  bitterness — I  can  assure  you — was  not  all  on  your 
side  and  especially  as  the  responsibility  of  the  step  and  any 
blame  that  there  might  be  attached  to  it  lay  upon  my 
shoulders. 

Whether  you  have  forgiven  me  I  do  not  know  but  I 
am  hoping  that  you  have;  for  I  can  never  be  indifferent 
to  your  esteem. 

I  have  not  been  very  strong  this  winter  and  spring  and 
the  Doctor  has  prescribed  for  me  a  trip  abroad,  the  longer, 
he  says,  the  better ;  and  as  some  friends  of  mine  were  com- 
ing out  to  Vancouver,  I  have  taken  the  opportunity  to 
travel  so  far  in  their  company  after  which  I  shall  go  on 
to  Australia,  where  I  have  relatives. 

I  understand  that  you  have  a  ranch — what  associations 
of  freedom  and  the  wilds  does  the  word  not  call  up — not 
far  from  Vancouver ;  and  I  thought  that  perhaps,  if  time 
has  taken  away  the  sting  and  you  can  think  of  me  now 
without  any  rancour,  that  you  might  be  generous  enough 
to  prove  it  by  coming  to  see  me.  I  should  like  to  hear 
about  your  life — so  different  from  the  old  one — and  to 
have  a  chat  over  old  times.  There,  now,  be  a  dear  boy 
like  you  used  to  be  and  come  to  see  me.  You  know  as 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  137 

we  grow  older  and  leave  more  of  our  life  behind  us,  we  are 
apt  more  to  prize  the  remembrance  of  happier  things. 

But  I  must  not  grow  sentimental  and  bore  you  although! 
there  was  a  time,  you  will  remember,  when  we  did  not 
find  such  speculations  a  bore.  No  doubt,  you  will  have 
changed  considerably  in  your  ideas  after  your  experience 
of  the  West  with  its  democratic  and  unconventional  ways 
of  thinking.  You  may  be  married  though  I  suppose  I 
should  probably  have  heard  of  it  in  some  way;  for  after 
all,  we  in  the  Old  Country  are  still  fairly  well  in  touch 
with  what  goes  on  in  the  colonies;  and  British  Columbia 
is  one  of  the  most  favoured  by  us. 

I  am  still  leading  the  life  of  single  blessedness  as  you 
see.  When  one  has  once  set  a  standard,  it  is  hard  to  come 
down  from  it  and  whatever  the  outward  circumstances 
that  came  between  us,  you  were  always  for  me  the  ideal 
of  the  "very  parfit  knyghte"  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche. 

This  is  a  long  screed  and  though  there  is  a  lot  of  news 
that  I  could  tell  you  about  mutual  friends,  I  shall  not  bur- 
den you  with  it  now;  as  I  hope  to  open  my  budget  when 
I  see  you.  I  expect  we  shall  be  in  Vancouver  on  Friday, 
the  29th — I  cannot  tell  whether  by  the  morning  or  the 
evening  train  as  I  have  to  be  guided  by  my  friends'  wishes. 
We  shall,  of  course,  stay  at  the  C.  P.  K.  Hotel  and  I  shall 
hope  to  see  you  there.  Meantime  au  revoir. 

Your  friend, 

PATRICIA  DEVEREUX. 

Keith  laid  down  the  letter  and  ate  his  soup  mechani- 
cally. "Patricia  coming  to  Vancouver  and  she  wants  to  see 
me!  Well,  the  news  doesn't  thrill  me  though  once  it 
might  have  done.  One  can  learn  a  lot  in  three  years,  as 
she  hints.  I  doubt,  Patricia,  the  old  feeling  is  all  dead — 
you  killed  it — and  it  is  no  use  trying  to  revive  it.  To  meet 
again  would  only  make  us  both  uncomfortable  and  give  us 
pain.  I  won't  go." 


138  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

He  repeated  this  several  times  to  himself  in  the  course 
of  the  evening  as  he  sat  smoking  his  pipe  in  front  of  the 
fire ;  but  for  some  reason  he  could  not  find  satisfaction  in 
the  resolve. 

"It  looks  like  showing  the  white  feather/'  he  thought, 
"and  besides  it  would  not  be  very  gallant  to  refuse.  I  be- 
lieve I'll  go  after  all.  I  need  a  change  anyway." 

And  having  told  the  Dalrymples  that  he  was  going  to 
town  in  the  morning,  he  went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Telling  tales  of  the  fairy  who  travelled  like  steam, 
In  a  pumpkin-shell  coach,  with  two  rats  for  her  team! 

WHITTIEB. 


"I  THINK  we'd  better  ask  Mr.  Leicester,"  Mrs.  Bolton 
was  saying  as  Marjorie  entered  the  room,  and  took  a 
seat  in  front  of  the  fire.  The  former  sat  at  the  end  of 
the  table  leaning  her  head  upon  her  hands.  Bolton  lay 
on  the  lounge  and  Dick  was  lying  on  the  hearth-rug  look- 
ing into  the  blaze. 

"I  hate  to  do  it  but  I  guess  it's  about  the  only  thing 
we  can  do,"  said  Bolton. 

There  was  silence.  Marjorie  felt  that  she  had  broken 
in  on  a  private  conference  but  it  was  too  late  to  back  out. 

"Now  just  what  is  it?"  she  said.  "You're  all  just  as 
blue  as  you  can  be  and  I  want  to  know  why.  If  I'm  not 
to  be  treated  as  one  of  the  family  I  shall  go  right  back  to 
England.  Isn't  that  right,  Dicky?  and  then  who  would 
you  have  to  play  'fairies'  with  you." 

Dicky  looked  up  with  rather  a  woebegone  face  but  did 
not  speak. 

"We  didn't  want  to  worry  you,  deary,"  said  Mrs.  Bol- 
ton. "It's  bad  enough  to  have  you  slaving  all  day  without 
asking  you  to  share  our  other  troubles.  You  that  shouldn't 
have  to  do  a  hand's  turn,  by  rights." 

"When  I  share  the  work  I  think  I  have  the  right  to 
share  the  worries,"  said  Marjorie.  "It  is  far  harder  for 


140  TKe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

me  to  know  that  things  are  going  wrong  and  not  to  know 
how  or  why." 

"That's  right,  Mother,"  said  Bolton;  "you  might  as 
well  tell  her." 

"Well,  it's  this  way:  You  see  Jim  was  expectin'  to  get 
the  money  from  the  mill  people  for  this  teaming  he  has 
been  doing  for  them;  and  to  pay  the  store  bill  with  it. 
It  seems  though  that  the  mill  people,  Main  and  Tracy, 
that  is,  are  in  a  bad  way  an'  they're  not  able  to  pay  the 
men;  an'  Jim  can't  get  a  cent  out  of  them  for  a  whole 
month's  work.  Now  Jamieson  at  the  store  says  he  can't 
give  us  any  further  credit.  Then  there's  an  interest  pay- 
ment due  on  the  mortgage  an'  the  man  is  writing  us  that, 
if  it  isn't  paid,  he  will  give  it  to  his  lawyers,  so  we  don't 
know  what  to  do.  I  was  thinkin'  maybe  Mr.  Leicester 
would  help  us  out  with  a  loan  for  a  little." 

"How  much  money  would  you  need  ?"  asked  Marjorie. 

"There  was  about  ninety  dollars  coming  from  Main  and 
Tracy  and  it  would  just  take  us  about  that  to  keep  us  go- 
ing. Me  bein'  sick  has  put  us  behind  so  much,"  and  Mrs. 
Bolton  sighed  heavily. 

Marjorie  was  silent  for  a  space.  She  was  thinking 
deeply. 

"I'll  tell  you  what,"  she  said ;  "I  think  if  I  went  up  to 
town  I  could  get  the  money,  but  you  mustn't  ask  me  how. 
There  is  no  need  to  borrow  from  Mr.  Leicester.  I  shall 
be  your  banker." 

Mrs.  Bolton's  face  cleared  but  it  clouded  over  again. 
Bolton  sat  up  hastily  on  the  lounge. 

"I  ain't  goin'  to  have  you  humiliatin'  yourself  to  bor- 
row money  for  us,"  he  said  fiercely.  "It's  bad  enough  the 
way  it  is  an'  I'm  deathly  ashamed  to  think  we  haven't 
been  able  to  do  better  for  you.  It's  enough  to  make  a  man 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  141 

take  to  drink.  But  you  see  how  it  is  yourself.  'Tain't  our 
fault." 

"There's  no  question  of  me  humiliating  myself  to  get 
the  money,  Bolton,"  said  Marjorie  quietly.  "I  shall  have 
no  difficulty  in  getting  it,  I  am  confident;  and  I  shall  be 
only  too  glad  to  do  it.  And  you  needn't  reproach  your- 
self ahout  what  you  have  done  for  me,  for  you've  done 
everything.  You  have  given  me  a  home  when  I  needed 
one  and  made  me  as  one  of  yourselves;  and  what  more 
could  you  do  than  that.  If  trouble  comes  to  you,  I  must 
be  allowed  to  share  it;  or  I  shall  think  you  consider  me 
an  outsider  and  I  shall  go  away.  You  and  dear  old  Nursie 
here  have  been  kindness  itself,"  and  she  went  over  and  put 
her  arms  round  Mrs.  Bolton  who  was  wiping  off  the  tears 
from  her  eyes;  "and  as  for  Dicky,  he's  been  just  a  dear. 

"Now  cheer  up,  everybody,  and  let's  make  our  plans 
what  we  are  going  to  do  with  all  this  money  when  we  get 
it.  What  shall  I  bring  you,  Dicky,  when  I  come  back  from 
town  ?  Behold  in  me  the  fairy  godmother ;"  and  she  picked 
up  a  newspaper  that  lay  on  the  table,  twisted  it  into  a 
cornucopia  and  placed  it  on  her  head.  "Now,  sir,  I 
shall  give  you  three  wishes.  What  are  your  desires?" 
and  she  stood  smiling  before  the  boy  who  had  risen  to  his 
feet  in  his  excitement,  the  gleam  in  his  eyes  belying  the 
bashfulness  of  his  pose  as  he  struggled  to  realise  whether 
the  offer  was  in  earnest  or  not. 

Marjorie  saw  his  hesitation. 

"Come  along  now,  Dicky;  don't  be  afraid.  Just  pre- 
tend for  a  minute  that  I  am  a  real,  live,  fairy  godmother ; 
and  say  just  what  you  would  like." 

Dick's  face  cleared  and  he  beamed  all  over,  entering 
into  the  spirit  of  the  game. 

"Well,  godmother,  please,  I  should  like  a  new  dress  for 
Mother,  and  a  new  pipe  for  Dad." 


142  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Wait  a  bit  though,  my  son.  The  wishes  must  be  for 
yourself.  It's  only  make-believe,  you  know;  so  don't  be 
afraid  to  ask.  Whatever  lies  dearest  to  your  heart,  even 
to  the  half  of  my  kingdom." 

"It's  just  a  game,  honest  injun  ?"  said  Dicky. 

"Cross  my  heart;  hope  to  die,"  said  Marjorie,  cheerfully 
perjuring  herself  in  a  good  cause. 

"Well  then,  godmother,  please,  I  should  like  a  bay  pony 
like  Norman  Allison's  with  a  long  tail,"  said  Dicky  aban- 
doning himself  to  the  luxury  of  the  make-believe,  now 
that  he  was  persuaded  that  it  was  a  game  and  nothing 
more. 

"Wish  number  one,"  said  the  godmother  with  a  nod  of 
assent. 

"And  I  should  like  a  'twenty-two'  rifle  with  ammuni- 
tion enough  to  do  for  a  year." 

"Wish  number  two,"  nodded  the  godmother.  "Now,  be 
careful,  for  this  is  the  last  one.  Choose  well,  my  son,  while 
the  choice  is  yours." 

Dick  pondered  for  a  moment. 

"I  know,"  he  cried,  all  aglow  with  excitement,  "please, 
godmother,  I  would  like  a  book  all  about  Peter  Pan  and 
the  fairies,  the  one  you  told  me  about,  you  know,  with 
the  beautiful  pictures  in  it  of  the  pirates  and  Wendy  and 
the  crocodile  with  the  alarm  clock  in  its  stomach." 

"My  son,  thou  hast  chosen  wisely,"  said  the  fairy  god- 
mother with  much  solemnity,  "in  that  thou  hast  not  chosen 
only  for  the  things  of  sense  but  hast  had  also  regard  for 
the  things  of  the  spirit.  Thy  desires  shall  be  granted  unto 
thee,"  and  she  doffed  the  cornucopia  and  was  plain  Mar- 
jorie once  more. 

"Now,  Dicky,  you  must  get  to  bed  and  be  up  early  to 
drive  me  to  the  station,"  she  said  dropping  the  grand  man- 
ner; "and  I  shall  have  to  go  and  pack  my  bag  for  I  may 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  143 

not  get  back  to-morrow  night,  although  I  expect  to.  The 
great  world  is  full  of  adventures  and  when  we  go  down 
into  it,  Dicky,  we  never  know  what  is  going  to  happen.  I 
just  wish  I  might  have  taken  you  with  me  but  you  must 
stay  and  help  Mother  and  see  that  she  doesn't  hurt  herself 
when  I'm  away." 

"Gee!  wouldn't  that  have  been  fine,"  said  Dicky  wist- 
fully. "Some  one  has  got  to  look  after  Mother  though 
and  I'll  work  hard  when  you're  away,"  he  added  forcing 
a  note  of  cheerfulness.  "We'll  count  the  hours  till  you 
get  back.  Won't  we,  Mother  ?" 


CHAPTEE  XIX 

"J  thank  you  for  your  company;  but,  good  faith, 
I  had  as  lief  have  been  myself  alone." 

SHAKESPEARE. 

THEBE  was  a  tear  in  Marjorie's  eye  next  morning  as 
she  turned  away  from  the  car  window  through  which  she 
had  been  waving  farewell  to  Dicky  who  had  driven  her 
down.  She  was  feeling  a  shade  lonesome  at  the  thought 
of  going  into  the  strange  city  in  which  she  knew  abso- 
lutely no  one;  and  the  parting  with  the  boy  even  for  so 
short  a  visit  affected  her  more  than  she  would  have  be- 
lieved possible. 

"The  brave  little  chap,"  she  said  to  herself;  "I  am  as 
fond  of  him  as  I  can  be.  How  he  would  like  to  come 
along  but  he  doesn't  say  a  word  about  it.  I  don't  believe 
I  could  have  stood  the  homesickness  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
him  and  his  loving  little  ways  and  his  frank  admiration. 
After  all,  if  we  only  have  some  one  that  thoroughly  be- 
lieves in  us,  it  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  struggle  that 
each  of  us  is  waging  in  this  crazy,  topsy-turvy  old  world 
of  ours." 

Her  thoughts  went  back  to  the  evening  of  her  arrival 
a  few  short  weeks  before.  How  forlorn  she  had  felt  in 
this  vast  lone  land  so  wild  and  so  thinly-peopled  and  so 
far  away  from  all  her  friends,  and  a  little  doubtful  as  she 
was  as  to  the  reception  she  would  meet  with  from  the  Bol- 
tons.  Then  her  future  had  lain  dark  and  mysterious  be- 
fore  her.  The  whole  tenor  of  her  life,  she  had  realised, 

144 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  145 

would  be  radically  changed  by  the  step  that  she  had  taken. 
She  had  felt  awed  and  depressed  by  this  element  of  mys- 
tery though  it  had  held  something  of  fascination  for  her 
too. 

Now,  in  this  short  space  of  time,  how  her  whole  hori- 
zon had  changed.  The  Boltons  had  made  her  as  one  of 
themselves;  and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  perhaps, 
she  had  known  what  it  was  to  have  others  depending  upon 
her  for  help ;  had  known  the  joy  and  satisfaction  of  loving 
service  unselfishly  rendered.  In  her  sheltered  existence  in 
England,  she  had  been  waited  on  hand  and  foot,  been 
fed  on  the  choicest  of  fare,  and,  apart  from  the  discipline 
of  Aunt  Sophronia,  she  had  been  shielded  from  all  the 
harsher  experiences  of  life,  the  disagreeables  that  fall  to 
the  lot  of  those  whom  she  had  been  taught  to  call  the  lower 
classes.  Now  she  found  herself  identified  with  the  Bol- 
tons, involved  with  them  in  the  struggle  for  the  mere 
necessaries  of  life;  tasting  of  its  acrid  pangs  as  well  as 
of  its  humble  pleasures.  To-day  she  felt  that  she  was 
going  forth  upon  an  adventure,  an  enterprise  that  was 
to  bring  relief  and  happiness  to  those  with  whom  she  had 
cast  in  her  lot  and  her  spirits  rose  in  the  anticipation. 

She  was  interrupted  in  her  reflections  by  some  one 
who  came  up  the  aisle  from  behind  and  sat  down  beside 
her.  There  were  not  many  in  the  train  and  she  turned 
round  with  some  annoyance  to  see  who  had  been  so  bold 
as  to  seek  a  share  of  her  seat  when  there  were  plenty  of 
others  vacant.  The  annoyance  was  not  dissipated  when 
she  saw  it  was  Mr.  Leicester. 

If  there  was  coldness  in  her  greeting,  however,  there 
was  no  lack  of  warmth  in  his. 

"Good-morning,  Miss  Coon,"  he  said  smiling;  "it  was 
quite  a  pleasant  surprise  to  see  you  get  on  at  Portlake.  I 


146  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

got  aboard  at  Brayton  as  it  is  a  little  nearer  my  place. 
Are  you  going  to  Vancouver  ?" 

"Yes,  I  am  going  down  on  business,"  she  said  in  as 
frigid  a  tone  as  she  could  assume. 

"Oh,  are  you?"  he  went  on  with  unabated  geniality. 
"Well,  I  am  supposed  to  be  going  down  on  pleasure  though 
it  is  awkward  leaving  the  work  on  the  ranch  just  now. 
However,  a  friend  of  mine  is  passing  through  the  city  and 
has  asked  me  to  meet  her;  and  I  daresay  that  I  shall 
enjoy  a  little  change.  The  woods  are  apt  to  get  on  one's 
nerves  if  one  gets  too  much  of  them,  don't  you  think?" 

"You  must  remember  I  have  not  had  very  long  experi- 
ence of  them  yet.  There  are  worse  things  than  solitude  at 
times,"  she  remarked  significantly.  She  was  holding  her 
head  averted  so  as  to  look  out  the  window  and  Keith  had  a 
good  view  of  her  profile  which  was  coldly  severe. 

"She  scored  a  hit  on  you  there,  my  boy,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "and  she  doesn't  thaw  a  bit." 

"There  is  some  beautiful  scenery  going  down  this 
Fraser  River,"  he  opened  up  again,  thinking  that  here  at 
least  was  a  safe  subject  by  which  he  might  be  able  to  charm 
away  her  unfriendly  attitude. 

"Yes,  but  don't  you  think,"  she  replied,  turning  her 
head  towards  him  for  the  first  time,  "that  one  enjoys. scen- 
ery so  much  better  when  one  does  not  have  some  one  at 
one's  elbow  ready  to  say  'how  nice'  at  everything  worth 
seeing  that  comes  along." 

"That's  certainly  true,"  agreed  Keith  with  enthusiasm 
refusing  to  see  anything  personal  in  the  remark.  "I  re- 
member the  last  time  I  came  through  the  Rockies  there 
were  a  mother  and  daughter  in  the  observation  car  that 
kept  us  all  in  fidgets.  At  every  turn  in  the  scenery  the 
one  would  say,  'Oh,  Sophy,  isn't  that  pretty* — 'pretty/ 
mind  you,  referring  to  Mount  Stephen  or  the  Three  Sisters 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  147 

or  some  such  magnificent  sight  that  a  person  can  only  gaze 
at  in  awe ;  and  the  daughter  would  answer  back,  'Yes,  Ma, 
it's  just  too  sweet  for  anything ;'  and  so  they  kept  at  it  all 
day  long  till  we  were  heartily  sick  of  them." 

Marjorie  smiled  faintly  at  Keith's  little  story  but  he 
felt  somehow  that  it  had  missed  fire.  She  remained  silent, 
still  gazing  out  across  the  fields. 

"And  how  is  Dicky  this  morning  ?"  Keith  asked,  think- 
ing that  he  might  be  able  to  arouse  some  interest  in  this 
subject.  "I  saw  he  drove  you  down  behind  Kitchener. 
He's  quite  proud  of  Kitchener,  isn't  he  ?" 

"Oh  Dicky's  all  right,"  she  replied. 

"I  haven't  been  seeing  so  much  of  him  lately." 

"No,  it's  not  surprising  though,  is  it  ?"  she  asked  rather 
pointedly. 

"I  suppose  he's  kept  pretty  busy  with  school  and  one 
way  and  another,"  he  pursued  without  noticing  the  sinis- 
ter drift  of  her  remark. 

There  was  a  pause  again. 

"I  have  been  thinking  for  a  long  time,  you  know,  Miss 
Coon,  that  I  must  have  offended  you  in  some  way ;  and  I've 
been  cudgelling  my  brains  to  think  what  it  could  be  that 
I  had  done,"  Keith  began,  at  last,  making  the  plunge 
boldly.  "Ever  since  the  night  of  the  dance  you  have  been 
anything  but — what  shall  I  say — anything  but  friendly  in 
your  manner  towards  me.  There  must  be  some  reason  for 
it  all,  and  I  think  that  I  have  a  right  to  know  what  it 
is." 

Marjorie  kept  on  looking  at  the  scenery.  She  was  still 
feeling  annoyed  with  him  for  forcing  his  company  upon 
her.  She  felt  that  she  was  acting  badly  but  her  ill  nature 
had  the  upper  hand.  Besides  he  had  been  mean  to  Dicky 
and  deserved,  therefore,  no  consideration. 


148  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"There  is  no  reason,  I'm  sure,  why  you  should  concern 
yourself  in  the  matter,"  she  said  after  a  moment. 

Keith  was  both  puzzled  and  mortified.  He  felt  that 
he  had  done  nothing  to  justify  her  evident  dislike  of  him. 
It  was  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  her  displeasure  of 
the  night  at  the  dance  would  yet  be  strong  enough  to 
cause  her  to  treat  him  so  coldly.  Perhaps  it  was  the  dis- 
covery of  his  having  seen  her  dancing  for  Dicky  down 
by  the  creek.  Maid's  moods  are  queer  things  to  fathom, 
he  reflected.  In  any  case,  he  resolved,  he  must  get  to 
the  bottom  of  the  matter  although  it  was  an  awkward  sub- 
ject to  broach. 

"I  thought  that  perhaps  it  might  be  that  I  had  watched 
you  dancing  and  singing  for  Dicky  down  by  the  creek  one 
night,"  he  began  blushing-  in  some  confusion ;  "but  after 
all  I  didn't  come  that  way  on  purpose  and  you  were  right 
on  the  trail.  Human  flesh  and  blood  couldn't  have  re- 
sisted the  temptation  to  look  on  for  a  few  minutes.  You 
did  make  such  a  lovely  picture,  you  know,  and  the  singing 
was  splendid." 

"It  was  my  fault  to  take  the  risk  of  any  one  coming  past 
and  seeing  me,"  she  replied  but  without  any  graciousness 
in  her  tone.  "I  never  thought  of  any  one  coming  there. 
It  is  so  quiet  and  secluded.  I  would  rather  not  discuss 
this  matter  any  further,  Mr.  Leicester ;  and  I  am  not  in  a 
sociable  mood  to-day  as  you  can  see." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  rising  and  lifting  his  hat, 
and  his  tones  were  as  icy  as  hers.  "I  am  very  sorry  to 
have  intruded,  but  I  shall  see  that  it  does  not  happen 
again" ;  and  he  stalked  off  to  the  smoking  room  to  soothe 
his  wounded  feelings  with  a  pipe. 

Marjorie  repented  then,  but  it  was  too  late.  She  had 
been  rude  and  ill-bred  and  had  put  herself  wholly  in  the 
wrong;  and  she  could  have  cried  with  the  vexation  of  it 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  149 

She  had  behaved,  she  told  herself,  with  all  the  pettishness 
of  a  spoilt  child.  So  it  often  happens.  We  work  our- 
selves up  into  a  righteous  anger  and  as  soon  as  we  have 
vented  it,  the  righteousness  seems  to  have  departed  and 
we  find  ourselves  in  the  wrong. 

The  sunshine  and  the  freshness  of  the  morning  and  the 
beautiful  panorama  passing  the  window  was  spoilt  for  her. 
The  wide-spreading  green  expanse  of  the  Pitt  Meadows 
and  the  noble  stream  of  the  Pitt  itself  flowing  through  them 
and  the  chain  of  lofty,  blue  mountains  behind  dominated 
by  the  giant  twin  peaks  of  the  Golden  Ears ;  then,  further 
on,  the  picturesque,  gravelly  bed  of  the  Coquitlam  and  the 
quaint,  scattered  mushroom  town  beside  it ;  then  the  South 
Arm  of  Burrard  Inlet  with  its  deeply-wooded  shores  and  its 
busy  lumber  mills;  then  the  Inlet  itself  widening  out, 
with  its  gay  pleasure-launches  carrying  happy  picnic 
crowds,  the  limpid  waters  reflecting  the  green  trees  and  the 
rocky  ramparts  that  guard  this  Sunset  Doorway  of  the 
Pacific,  all  these  appealed  to  her  sense  of  beauty  and  com- 
manded her  admiration  but  failed  to  give  her  enjoyment. 

Soon  they  dashed  through  lumber  yards  and  factories 
and  docks,  all  those  hives  of  industry  that  gather  around 
the  railway  and  the  water-front  of  a  big  city;  and  she 
knew  that  she  had  reached  Vancouver  at  last.  It  was  good 
to  see  the  life  and  activity  again  after  the  quietness  of 
the  woods;  the  drays  and  the  street-cars,  the  tugs  and  the 
ferry-boats,  and  the  people  everywhere  rushing  to  and 
fro. 

The  train,  at  last,  drew  in  to  the  covered  depot  and 
taking  her  suitcase,  she  climbed  the  stairs  with  the  crowd. 
Outside  the  station,  she  found  amongst  the  row  of  buses 
that  of  the  Hotel  Vancouver,  into  which  she  quickly 
mounted  and  was  borne  away ;  but  she  saw  no  signs  of  her 
fellow-passenger,  Mr.  Leicester. 


CHAPTER  XX 

farewell,  then,  my  golden  repeater, 
We're  come  to  my  Uncle's  old  shop. 

T.  HOOD. 

He  mounted  her  on  a  bonnie  l>ay  horse. 

OLD  BALLAD. 

THE  bus  quickly  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  hotel  and 
Marjorie  who  was  accustomed  to  the  best  in  London  was 
astonished  by  the  imposing  appearance  of  this  one.  Tow- 
ering above  the  street  to  its  fifteen  stories  or  so,  as  she 
passed  inside  she  had  the  hurried  impression  of  a  huge 
pile  turreted  like  some  ancient  mediaeval  fortress  but 
modern  in  its  general  design  and  more  lofty.  Its  very 
size  and  grandeur  made  her  feel  all  the  more  lonely  and 
insignificant  as  she  passed  into  the  spacious  foyer  and 
asked  at  the  desk  for  a  room.  When  she  had  signed  her 
name  in  the  register  it  gave  her  something  of  a  shock  on 
glancing  up  the  page  to  see  that  of  Keith  Leicester.  She 
had  not  contemplated  for  a  moment  the  possibility  that  he 
would  be  staying  at  the  Vancouver.  She  had  decided  to 
come  to  it  herself  as  she  felt  that  she  would  be  more  pro- 
tected and  secure  staying  at  a  place  the  reputation  of  which 
was  above  question  and  she  felt  that  this  would  be  well 
worth  paying  for.  Besides  she  could  not  afford  to  run  any 
chances  as  to  the  safety  of  the  jewels  which  she  had  brought 
with  her  on  purpose  to  raise  the  money  which  she  re- 
quired. 

150 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  151 

Now  when  she  saw  Mr.  Leicester's  name,  her  first  im- 
pulse was  to  go  to  another  hotel;  but  as  she  had  put  her 
name  down  and  the  clerk  had  already  assigned  her  a  room, 
she  felt  constrained  to  let  things  go  as  they  were.  In  a 
moment  she  was  following  the  bell-boy  who  showed  her  to 
a  room  on  the  eighth  floor,  next  to  one  of  the  turrets  that 
made  the  building  so  picturesque  and  looking  out  to  the 
front  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  mountains  and  the  in- 
let. 

The  boy  having  departed,  she  looked  at  her  watch  and 
found  that  it  was  only  ten  o'clock.  The  sooner  she  got  her 
business  done,  she  decided,  the  better,  and  then  she  would 
be  free  to  enjoy  herself. 

AVhen  she  had  offered  to  raise  the  money  for  the  Bol- 
tons  she  had  not  foreseen  any  difficulty.  She  had  some 
valuable  pieces  of  jewelry  and  she  did  not  anticipate  any 
trouble  in  selling  them  for  at  least  two-thirds  of  their 
value ;  but  now  that  the  time  had  arrived  for  undertaking 
the  business,  she  felt  not  a  little  trepidation.  She  had 
heard  of  pawnbrokers  and  even  seen  their  shops  in  London 
but  any  actual  business  with  them  was  altogether  outside 
of  her  knowledge.  It  now  occurred  to  her  that  they  were 
likely  enough  to  try  to  take  advantage  of  her  inexperience ; 
and  she  felt  that  perhaps  she  had  done  wrong  in  not  asking 
Bolton  to  accompany  her.  She  was  afraid,  however,  that 
if  he  knew  how  she  was  to  get  the  money  he  would  ab- 
solutely refuse  to  let  her  make  the  sacrifice. 

At  any  rate,  the  thing  had  to  be  done,  so  she  plucked 
up  her  courage  and  sallied  out  bravely.  Downstairs  in 
the  foyer  she  consulted  the  classified  lists  in  the  tele- 
phone directory  but,  though  there  seemed  to  be  everything 
else  under  the  p's  from  paving  contractor  to  pickle  manu- 
facturers, there  was  not  a  sign  of  a  pawnbroker. 

"Dear  me !"  she  said  to  herself.  "Is  it  possible  that  in 


152  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

the  West  people  are  all  so  well  off  that  the  pawnbroker  is 
unnecessary  ?" 

She  did  not  feel  equal  to  making  enquiries  of  the  dig- 
nified hotel  clerk,  so  she  went  out  into  the  street,  resolved 
to  reconnoitre  herself.  Down  Granville  Street  she  went 
past  the  Hudsons  Bay  Stores  which  recalled  to  her  mind 
tales  of  adventures  of  the  fur  traders  read  in  her  early 
girlhood.  It  gave  her  a  thrill  to  notice  on  one  of  their 
delivery  wagons  passing  by,  the  words  "Established  1670" 
and  she  thought  to  herself  that  there  were  some  things  in 
Canada  not  so  new  after  all. 

Down  Granville  Street  she  went  to  the  Post  Office  and 
then  east  along  Hastings  Street  as  far  as  the  B.  C.  Electric 
Station,  but  although  she  saw  almost  all  kinds  of  stores  and 
many  attractive  windows,  there  was  no  sign  of  what  she 
was  in  search  of.  There  were  barbers'  poles  and  electric 
signs  of  every  description,  but  the  three  golden  balls  were 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  At  last,  she  decided  that  she  must 
ask  some  one,  and  she  picked  out  for  the  purpose  a  benevo- 
lent looking  old  gentleman  with  a  white  beard.  For  any- 
thing else  she  would  have  asked  a  policeman,  but  she  felt 
instinctively  that  for  this  it  was  best  not  to  consult  one  of 
the  Force. 

"Why,  bless  my  soul,  what  did  you  say — a  pawnbroker  ?" 
he  sputtered  in  astonishment,  evidently  distrusting  his 
ears. 

Marjorie  repeated  her  query  to  reassure  him.  He  looked 
at  her  amazed. 

"A  pawnbroker,  miss!"  he  repeated  after  her.  "!N"o, 
I'm  afraid  not ;  I  never  heard  of  one  here.  I  suppose  there 
are  such  places  in  the  slums,  but  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
them." 

Marjorie  thanked  him  and  walked  on.  This  time  she 
asked  a  youngish  man ;  and  while  he  too  seemed  somewhat 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  153 

surprised  at  her  request,  he  was  able  to  give  her  the  in- 
formation. 

"If  you  will  walk  down  a  block  towards  the  waterfront," 
he  said,  "there  are  several  down  there.  You're  a  stranger 
here,  aren't  you  ?" 

She  assented. 

"Well,  you  keep  right  on  and  you'll  come  to  them." 

She  thanked  him  and  soon  found  herself  in  the  street 
to  which  he  had  directed  her.  The  shops  here  were  of  a 
poorer  class,  mostly  cheap  clothing  places  and  there  were 
a  number  of  second-rate  hotels.  She  found  a  place  with 
all  kinds  of  miscellaneous  articles  in  the  window,  jewelry, 
watches,  telescopes,  guns,  revolvers,  and  bowie  knives,  a 
regular  curiosity  shop  it  was,  and  in  the  windows  there 
was  the  welcome  sign,  "Money  to  Loan." 

She  went  in  and  an  old  man  came  forward.  He  was 
the  typical  Jew  in  feature,  and  he  rubbed  his  hands  as  he 
approached. 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  miss  ?" 

"I  have  some  jewels  I  want  to  sell,"  she  said  timidly. 
"Diamonds  mostly,  they  are.  Do  you  think  you  would  like 
to  buy  them  ?" 

"I'm  afraid,  miss,  I'm  overstocked,  and  I  have  so  many 
things  offered  me ;  but  perhaps  you  would  let  me  see  them. 
I  would  know  better  then,"  and  he  grinned  at  her  under 
his  glasses. 

She  opened  her  little  bag  and  took  out  a  diamond  ring 
in  a  case,  a  pearl  necklace  and  a  beautiful  sunburst  of 
diamonds  and  sapphires. 

The  old  Jew's  eyes  gleamed  when  he  saw  the  jewels  and 
he  took  them  up  in  his  hands  and  examined  them  carefully, 
first  with  the  naked  eye  and  then  with  a  glass.  Then  he 
grinned  impudently  into  Marjorie's  face,  staring  at  her 


154  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

for  a  while  without  saying  a  word.  In  spite  of  herself 
she  grew  embarrassed  under  his  gaze. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  them?"  she  asked  impa- 
tiently. "I  do  not  know  what  they  cost  originally  but  I 
know  that  they  are  valuable." 

"So  you  want  to  sell  them,  do  you,  eh,  miss?  Well, 
well,  but  you  know  you're  a  very  young  woman  to  be  sell- 
ing jewels  like  these  here.  You  would  have  to  say  where 
you  got  them." 

Unable  to  speak  for  anger,  Marjorie  silently  snatched  up 
her  jewels  and  putting  them  back  in  the  bag,  she  snapped 
it  close  and  marched  from  the  shop  without  another  word. 
The  old  man  tried  to  get  her  to  come  back,  but  she  gave 
him  no  heed  and  walked  down  the  street  as  fast  as  she 
could. 

But  she  had  not  gone  far  before  she  came  to  another  shop 
very  similar  to  the  first  one;  and  as  she  was  determined 
to  finish  her  business  she  went  in  here.  She  liked  the 
looks  of  the  man  in  charge  and  she  quickly  made  him 
acquainted  with  her  business.  He,  too,  examined  the 
jewelry  very  carefully. 

"Yes,  they  are  very  fine  pieces,"  he  said;  "but  if  I 
bought  them  from  you  I  should  only  be  able  to  give  you 
about  half  what  they  cost.  If  we  are  to  tie  the  money  up 
in  stock  like  this  we  must  be  sure  that  when  we  sell  we 
shall  make  a  big  profit." 

"Well,  how  much  would  you  give  me  for  these — say  for 
this  diamond  ring  now?"  Marjorie  asked.  She  liked  the 
man's  way  of  talking. 

"That  is  a  very  fine  diamond  and  it  is  well  set.  Prob- 
ably it  cost  over  a  hundred  dollars  retail ;  but  all  I  would 
pay  for  it  would  be  fifty.  Then  if  I  sold  it  at  eighty  or 
ninety,  I  would  think  that  I  was  doing  well  but  I  might 
have  to  wait  six  months  or  a  year  to  do  that." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  155 

"And  the  necklace  and  the  sunburst  ?" 

"Oh,  I  might  go  as  high  as  three  hundred  dollars  for 
the  necklace  and  perhaps  two  hundred  for  the  sunburst. 
They  are  both  fine  pieces.  I  should  say  that  they  were  not 
made  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic." 

"N"o,  they  were  bought  for  me  in  London.  I  will  sell 
you  the  necklace  for  three  hundred  dollars." 

He  looked  at  Marjorie  a  little  doubtfully. 

"Are  you  living  in  the  city  ?"  » 

"I  live  at  Portlake  not  far  from  here ;  but  I  am  staying 
at  the  Hotel  Vancouver  while  I  am  in  town." 

"I  suppose  these  are  your  own  jewels?" 

Marjorie  laughed,  somewhat  piqued  at  the  question. 

"Otherwise  I  certainly  shouldn't  be  selling  them,"  she 
replied.  "They  were  all  gifts  to  me  and  I  should  not  sell 
them  except  that  I  have  pressing  need  of  the  money.  You 
need  not  be  afraid  of  their  being  stolen." 

He  appeared  to  be  satisfied. 

"Oh,  no  doubt,  that  is  all  right,"  he  hastened  to  assure 
her ;  "but  I  should  have  to  keep  them  for  a  couple  of  days, 
say,  before  I  would  pay  the  money.  You  see  there  are 
certain  requirements  of  the  law  that  have  to  be  met  with — 
we  have  to  give  the  police,  for  instance,  a  description  of 
all  the  articles  we  take.  However,  I  suppose  you  could 
wait  that  long." 

"I  suppose  so,"  said  Marjorie  a  little  doubtfully;  for 
she  was  disappointed  that  the  matter  could  not  be  con- 
cluded there  and  then.  "It  will  delay  my  return  home,  that 
is  all.  However,  of  course,  you  have  a  right  to  take  every 
precaiition.  I  have  some  purchases  to  make,  however; 
and  if  you  could  have  made  me  an  advance  on  the  neck- 
lace it  would  have  helped  me  considerably." 

She  still  had  about  fifty  dollars  of  her  money  left  but 
she  wanted  to  buy  the  presents  for  Dicky  and  the  others. 


156  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

It  would  help  to  pass  the  two  days  away  if  she  could  do 
this;  and  would  save  her  spending  a  longer  time  in  the 
city,  if  she  had  everything  done  by  the  time  she  got  the 
money. 

He  hesitated  for  a  moment  or  two. 

"Well,"  he  said  at  last;  "you  look  honest  enough  and 
I'm  willing  to  take  a  chance  on  advancing  you  fifty  dol- 
lars." 

So  the  bargain  was  concluded  and  she  left  him  the  neck- 
lace and  signed  a  receipt  for  the  money.  Then,  well 
pleased  with  the  result,  she  walked  back  to  the  hotel  for 
lunch. 

In  the  afternoon  Marjorie  went  shopping.  First,  she 
bought  a  dress  for  Mrs.  Bolton  at  the  Hudsons  Bay  Stores, 
then  a  meerschaum  pipe  for  Bolton  himself  which  the 
tobacconist  assured  her  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  store. 
Then  she  sought  a  bookstore  and  purchased  a  copy  of 
Barrie's  "Peter  Pan"  with  illustrations  by  Arthur  Rack- 
ham.  At  a  gunsmith's  it  did  not  take  long  to  choose  a 
"twenty-two"  rifle  and  to  stipulate  for  the  ammunition 
"to  last  for  a  year."  The  salesman  seemed  anxious  to 
please  and  she  enlisted  his  help  in  the  matter  of  the  "bay 
pony  with  the  long  tail,"  in  which  he  seemed  to  be  very 
much  interested. 

"I  tell  you  what  to  do,"  he  advised.  "Take  the  car  down 
to  the  Horse  Show  Building  at  the  entrance  to  Stanley 
Park.  They  keep  a  regular  boarding  stable  there  and 
saddle  horses  for  hire  and  very  likely  they  will  have 
something  suitable,  either  from  their  own  horses  or  from 
among  the  boarders." 

She  thanked  him  and  paid  for  the  rifle,  ordering  it  to 
be  sent  to  the  hotel.  By  the  help  of  the  traffic  policeman, 
she  was  able  to  board  the  right  car  and  soon  found  her- 
self at  the  Horse  Show  Building,  a  long  yellow  wooden 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  157 

erection  of  a  somewhat  pretentious  appearance.  On  enter- 
ing, she  found  the  manager  in  the  office  and  told  him  just 
what  she  wanted.  He  was  an  Irishman,  thick-set  and 
plump,  of  an  aquiline  cast  of  features,  an  expensive  man- 
ner and  persuasive  brogue.  As  he  talked  to  her  she  could 
almost  imagine  she  had  known  him  for  years,  he  was  so 
intimate  and  friendly. 

''Well,  miss,  believe  me,  if  you  had  hunted  all  over 
Canada  you  couldn't  have  come  to  a  better  place  to  get 
what  you  wanted ;  for  I  think  that  I've  got  the  very  thing 
for  you.  There's  a  lady  here  that  bought  a  horse  for  her- 
self to  ride ;  but  she  isn't  a  rider  at  all  and  the  horse  is  a 
bit  too  fresh  for  her.  He's  gentle  enough,  you  understand ; 
but  he's  got  breeding  and  life,  and  he  has  to  be  ridden 
with  'hands.'  Now,  miss,  just  to  look  at  you  I  could  tell 
that  you  had  'hands.' ' 

"And  how  could  you  tell  that  now?"  said  Marjorie 
smiling. 

"Well,  then,  just  by  the  step  of  you,  and  the  very  way 
you  came  in  that  door  just  now.  This  lady  I  speak  of  now^ 
poor  thing,  she  hasn't  any  'hands'  and  she  never  will  have 
them.  'Hands'  are  somethin'  that  are  born  with  us,  miss, 
and  if  we  don't  get  them  before  we're  put  in  the  cradle, 
we  never  get  them  at  all.  Charlie,"  he  called,  "bring 
up  that  little  bay  of  Miss  Morris'." 

"Oh,  you  want  the  horse  for  a  boy,  do  you  ?"  he  went 
on  volubly,  when  Marjorie  had  explained.  "Sorry,  miss, 
I  thought  it  was  for  yourself.  Well,  he's  a  little  bit  lifey, 
but  if  the  boy's  a  good  sort  of  a  boy,  an'  the  makin's  of  a 
rider  in  him,  this  little  fellow  is  just  the  thing." 

They  went  out  on  the  floor  and  the  horse  was  brought 
up  from  the  stables  below.  He  was  certainly  a  fine  little 
animal,  a  dark  bay  with  a  long  mane  and  tail.  He  arched 


158  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

his  pretty  neck  and  allowed  Marjorie  to  fondle  his  vel- 
vety nose. 

"He's  just  fourteen  two  and  rising  six,  miss,  and  he'd 
carry  you  beautifully.  Miss  Morris  calls  him  Puck. 
I  s'pose  'cos  he's  a  kind  of  a  pickle,  but  I'm  sure  he'd  be 
all  right  with  anybody  that  had  the  least  bit  o'  feelings 
for  a  horse.  You've  followed  the  hounds,  haven't  you, 
miss  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  said;  "but  J  never  was  a  great  deal  of 
good  at  the  fences." 

"Now,  wouldn't  ye  like  to  put  on  a  habit  and  try  the 
little  horse  ?  There's  a  dressing  room  right  here  and  you 
can  pick  one  that'll  fit.  If  you  ever  get  on  his  back, 
shure  you're  going  to  buy  him." 

Marjorie  was  nothing  loath,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
minutes  she  was  cantering  round  the  arena,  a  huge  place 
that  was  the  second  largest  of  its  kind  on  the  continent, 
Mr.  Callaghan,  the  manager,  did  not  fail  to  tell  her.  lit  felt 
good  to  be  on  a  horse's  back  again.  Puck's  gait  was  de- 
lightful and  his  mouth  like  a  kid  glove.  It  was  easy  to 
see,  though,  that  he  might  be  a  difficult  handful  for  an 
incompetent  rider. 

"I  knew  that  he  would  suit  ye,"  said  Mr.  Callaghan 
with  enthusiasm,  lapsing  into  a  more  pronounced  brogue; 
"an'  troth  the  pair  of  ye  make  as  pretty  a  picture  as  any 
one  could  wish  for.  To  look  at  you  one  would  think  ye 
were  Irish  an'  that's  as  f  oine  a  compliment  as  I  could  pay 
you,  miss.  He's  just  proud  to  have  you  on  his  back,  aren't 
you,  Puck?" 

Marjorie  dismounted  and  before  she  had  left  the  build- 
ing she  had  purchased  the  horse  for  a  hundred  dollars  on  a 
deposit  of  twenty-five;  and  he  was  to  be  kept  until  she 
was  ready  to  take  him.  She  also  arranged  for  a  saddle  and 
bridle.  It  was  after  four  when  she  got  back  to  the  hotel. 


Is  she  wronged?    To  the  rescue  of  her  honour, 
My  heart! 

E.  BROWNING. 

KEITH  had  had  rather  a  busy  day  calling  on  friends  and 
attending  to  various  matters  of  business.  He  lunched  with 
one  of  these  at  the  Vancouver  Club  and  he  did  not  get  back 
to  the  hotel  till  about  five.  There  he  went  at  once  to  his 
room  and  was  just  having  a  wash  when  the  telephone  rang. 

"Is  this  Mr.  Leicester  ?"  a  man's  voice  enquired.  "This 
is  Mr.  Graham,  the  manager,  speaking.  I  wonder  if  you 
would  mind  coming  down  to  my  office  for  a  minute,  Mr. 
Leicester.  I'm  sorry  to  disturb  you  but  I  should  be 
obliged  if  you  could  come  right  away." 

"Why,  yes,  Mr.  Graham,  if  you'll  just  wait  half  a 
minute  I  will  come  down" ;  and  he  made  haste  to  dry  his 
hands  and  put  on  his  collar. 

"What  can  the  man  want?"  he  asked  himself  as  he 
went  down  in  the  elevator.  "I've  scarcely  spoken  to  him 
before." 

He  had  little  time  to  speculate,  however,  before  the 
door  was  opened  to  him  and  he  was  asked  to  step  in.  It 
was  a  large  room  handsomely  furnished;  and  he  was 
greatly  surprised  to  see  Marjorie  sitting  in  an  armchair  by 
the  window.  There  were  two  other  men  besides  Mr. 
Graham.  Keith  bowed  coldly  to  Marjorie  and  took  the 
chair  that  was  offered  to  him.  He  was  not  introduced  to 


160  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

the  two  men.  There  seemed  to  be  an  air  of  constraint 
upon  all. 

"I  am  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Leicester,  for  coming  so 
promptly,"  said  the  manager  rather  nervously.  "You  will 
be  surprised  at  this  summons  I'm  sure;  but  the  circum- 
stances are  rather  extraordinary.  Perhaps,  Inspector 
Brown,"  he  said  turning  to  the  larger  of  the  two  men, 
"you  will  be  good  enough  to  explain  them  to  Mr.  Leices- 
ter." 

"It's  this  way,  sir,  you  see.  This  gentleman  and  I," 
the  inspector  began,  indicating  the  other  man,  "belong 
to  the  city's  detective  force.  We  have  had  instructions 
for  some  time  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  a  female  diamond 
thief  that  has  been  operating  in  the  Eastern  cities.  She's 
been  layin'  low  for  the  last  three  or  four  months  and  noth- 
ing has  been  heard  of  her ;  but  sooner  or  later,  you  know, 
she  was  pretty  well  bound  to  be  at  her  old  tricks  again. 
]STow,  I  happened  to  drop  into  old  Sam  Prince's  pawn- 
shop to-day;  an'  he  was  telling  ine  about  a  rather  suspi- 
cious-looking female  who  had  come  to  his  place  to  sell  some 
'jewelry  but  who  had  skipped  just  as  soon  as  he  began  to 
ask  questions.  He  watched  her  go  up  to  Sherman's  and 
she  went  in  there,  he  said. 

"Well,  I  thought  it  wouldn't  do  any  harm  for  me  to 
drop  into  Sherman's  too  and  find  out  about  this  party  with 
the  shiners.  I  discovered  sure  enough  that  he  had  ar- 
ranged to  buy  a  purty  fine  piece  of  stuff  for  a  matter  of 
three  hundred  dollars.  He  told  me  that  she  had  had  a 
number  of  other  pretty  fine  things,  too,  but  that  that  was 
all  he  had  bought. 

"He  gave  me  the  description  of  the  girl  and  sure  enough 
it  answered  to  that  of  the  thief  that  was  'wanted'  in  the 
East.  She  had  given  her  address  as  the  Hotel  Vancouver, 
so  I  got  Bill  here  to  come  with  me  on  the  chance  that  it 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  161 

might  be  the  right  one — for  they're  mighty  artful  and 
bold,  some  of  these  characters.  She  was  here  right  enough, 
and  so  we  put  Mr.  Graham  wise  and  had  her  brought  in. 
jSTow  she  denies  the  whole  thing  an'  she  says  that  you  can 
tell  us  who  she  is  and  all  about  her." 

During  this  long  harangue,  Keith  had  listened  half 
bewildered.  At  first,  he  could  not  comprehend  what  the 
man  was  driving  at.  Marjorie  sat  opposite  him,  her  face 
slightly  averted  and  her  little  foot  tapping  the  floor  with 
impatience.  There  was  a  tenseness  of  suffering  and  shame 
on  her  face,  however,  that  compelled  his  pity  even  al- 
though he  had  not  forgotten  her  cavalier  treatment  of  him 
in  the  morning.  It  was  not  long  before  he  had  gathered1 
from  the  detective's  harangue  what  was  the  nature  of  the 
crisis  that  she  was  facing. 

The  realisation  struck  him  like  a  blow  in  the  face.  That 
she  could  be  a  notorious  thief,  at  first,  seemed  impossible, 
and  he  could  not  square  it  with  the  conception  he  had 
formed  of  her.  Yet,  after  all,  it  flashed  through  his  mind 
that  he  knew  next  to  nothing  of  her,  and  she  had  arrived 
at  Portlake  under  rather  peculiar  circumstances.  Nor 
liad  she  ever  seemed  willing  to  talk  about  her  life  in  Eng- 
land or  her  friends;  and  any  leading  remarks  or  ques- 
tions of  his  had  always  been  met  with  a  wall  of  reserve 
•ihat  he  had  never  been  able  to  break  down.  Even  the  Bol- 
ions  had  refused  to  talk  about  her.  These  thoughts  flashed 
upon  him  almost  before  he  realised  that  she  was  speaking. , 

"Yes,  Mr.  Leicester,"  she  was  saying  and  her  voice  was 
tremulous,  whether  with  indignation  or  fear;  "will  you 
please  tell  these  men  how  absurd  is  this  accusation ;  that  I 
am  not  a — a — not  what  they  say  I  am." 

"Why,  gentlemen,"  he  hastened  to  say,  "there  must  be 
some  ridiculous  mistake  here.  This  lady,  Miss  Coon,  is 
well  known  to  me." 


162  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"What  did  you.  say  her  name  was?"  asked  Inspector 
Brown  quickly. 

"Miss  Coon." 

"How  do  you  spell  it,  please?" 

"Why,  C-o-o-n,  I  suppose." 

"Rather  peculiar,"  said  the  Inspector  turning  with  a 
dry  smile  to  Mr.  Graham.  "She  writes  it  Colquhoun  in 
your  register." 

Marjorie  flushed  and  bit  her  lip.  She  started  to  speak 
and  then  stopped  herself. 

"How  long  have  you  known  the  young  lady,  Mr.  Leices- 
ter, might  I  ask  ?" 

"'Oh,  for  some  time,"  said  Keith,  seeing  the  dangerous 
drift  of  the  question.  "She  is  a  near  neighbour  of  mine. 
We  are  a  rather  primitive  set  in  our  district,  you  know,  and 
if  we  pronounce  Colquhoun,  Coon,  I  suppose  it's  nobody's 
business  but  our  own,  especially  if  Miss  Colquhoun  here 
is  too  careful  of  our  feelings  to  set  us  straight.  Our  hearts 
are  all  right  even  if  our  spelling  is  faulty." 

Keith  found  himself  taking  sides  with  the  weaker  party 
even  though  his  judgment  told  him  that  appearances  were 
entirely  against  her.  Even  after  the  way  she  had  treated 
him  that  morning,  his  manhood  demanded  that  he  should 
not  desert  her  in  a  pinch  like  this  while  there  was  the 
shadow  of  a  chance  of  her  being  innocent.  At  the  same  time 
he  did  not  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with  compounding 
a  felony.  It  was  a  nasty  mess  even  for  a  mere  acquaintance 
to  be  mixed  up  in;  but  with  the  feelings  he  had  already 
begun  to  entertain  for  the  girl,  the  matter  touched  him 
very  closely.  If  she  were  innocent  and  he  failed  her,  his 
chances  to  win  her  were  inevitably  gone  forever;  forgive- 
ness was  out  of  the  question ;  while  if  the  charge  was  true 
and  he  aided  her  to  escape  from  the  hands  of  justice,  he 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester         163 

not  only  made  himself  a  laughing  stock  but  he  laid  himself 
open  to  disagreeable  consequences  from  the  law. 

"Would  you  mind  telling  us  just  exactly  how  long  you 
have  known  the  young  lady?"  now  put  in  the  other  man 
who  had  not  as  yet  spoken ;  "  'f  or  some  time'  is  hardly  defi- 
nite enough  for  our  purposes,  it  seems  to  me." 

To  say  that  he  had  only  known  her  for  four  months 
would  be  to  discredit  any  testimony  he  might  offer  in 
her  favour,  so  to  cover  his  evasion  Keith  let  himself  be 
carried  away  in  a  fine  passion  of  indignation. 

"Now,  see  here,  my  man,  I  consider  this  persecution  of 
Miss  Colquhoun  a  downright  piece  of  impertinence;  and 
I  would  have  you  understand  that  you  had  better  go  very 
carefully  in  the  matter.  I  am  neither  in  the  witness  box 
nor  in  the  dock;  and  any  information  I  can  give  you  is 
for  your  benefit  and  with  the  view  of  saving  you  from 
making  yourselves  laughing-stocks  by  persisting  any  fur- 
ther in  this  ridiculous  mistake." 

"That's  as  it  may  be,"  interrupted  Inspector  Brown; 
"but  I  don't  see  why  you  would  object  to  tell  us,  if  you're 
so  intimate  with  the  young  lady  as  you  would  have  us 
believe." 

"I  tell  you  this,"  continued  Keith ;  "I  have  known  Miss 
Colquhoun  ever  since  she  came  to  this  country  and  she  is 
living  with  very  estimable  people  whom  I  have  known  for 
years." 

"Ever  since  she  came  here!"  burst  out  the  Inspector 
scornfully.  "Well,  that's  only  four  months,  as  she  told 
us  before  you  came  in." 

This  took  the  wind  out  of  Keith's  sails ;  and  he  flushed 
scarlet  in  spite  of  himself. 

"Is  it  likely,"  he  said,  "that  if  Miss  Colquhoun  were 
what  you  suspect  her  of  being  that  she  would  come  to  a 
hotel  like  the  'Vancouver'  ?  I  leave  it  to  Mr.  Graham  here 


164  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

whether  he  is  much  troubled  by  notorious  thieves  taking 
refuge  under  his  roof." 

"The  most  likely  thing  in  the  world  with  this  woman/' 
again  burst  in  the  Inspector.  "She  is  the  very  slickest 
thing  in  thieves.  Dresses  quietly  and  in  the  best  of  taste ; 
frequents  the  very  best  hotels;  why,  in  Detroit,  she  even 
took  a  lot  of  diamonds  she  had  stolen  to  a  banker  and  got 
a  big  advance  on  them ;  and  left  him  holding  the  bag.  By 
all  accounts,  her  manners  are  simply  perfect;  and  it 
wouldn't  be  surprising  if  she  could  take  in  a  gentleman 
like  yourself." 

Marjorie  rose  to  her  feet  and  faced  the  Inspector. 

"Oh,  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourselves  to  bully  a 
defenceless  girl,"  she  protested,  her  voice  trembling  with 
indignation  and  distress.  "Haven't  I  told  you  I  am  not 
this  infamous  person  you  describe  ?  I  have  never  been  in 
Detroit  or  the  United  States  in  my  life.  The  jewels  I 
have  with  me  are  my  own  and  I  have  a  right  to  sell  them 
if  I  want  to." 

"That  is  all  very  well,  Miss  Colquhoun,"  said  Mr. 
Graham  soothingly,  "but  you  must  realise  that  these  gentle- 
men are  only  trying  to  do  their  duty,  and  all  they  want 
to  know  is  your  proper  identity.  If  they  are  mistaken 
in  taking  you  for  this  person,  no  doubt,  they  will  only  be 
too  glad  to  acknowledge  their  mistake  and  depart.  But 
they  expect  you  to  do  all  you  can  to  help  them  by  proving 
you  are  not  the  party.  So  far,  you  have  not  done  this  but 
have  shown  a  hostile  attitude  throughout.  For  instance, 
you  refuse  to  say  who  are  your  people  in  the  old  country, 
which  on  the  face  of  it  is  a  very  suspicious  circumstance. 
You  can  surely  have  no  valid  reason  for  doing  this." 

"I  have  very  valid  and  substantial  reasons  for  doing 
so,  I  can  assure  you,"  said  Marjorie,  "and  I  refuse,  just 
because  an  over-zealous  police  officer  stumbles  upon  a 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  165 

mare's  nest,  to  upset  my  own  private  affairs  just  to  prove 
to  him  that  I  am  not  tlje  criminal  he  thinks  I  am.  Let 
him  wire  to  the  East  for  further  information  in  the 
matter  and  find  out  his  mistake  that  way.  He  will  find  me 
here  if  I  am  wanted ;  I  can  assure  him  I  do  not  intend  to 
run  away  unless  hack  to  Portlake  where  he  can  easily  find 
me." 

"That's  all  very  well,  miss,  hut  how  are  we  to  be  sure 
of  that  ?"  said  the  Inspector  with  rather  a  grim  smile. 
"We're  quite  willing  to  make  further  inquiries;  hut  in 
the  meantime,  we  shall  have  to  place  you  under  arrest. 
You  see,  looking  at  it  from  a  professional  standpoint,  if 
you  should  he  Slippy  Sal — which  is  the  name  the  police  on 
the  other  side  have  for  this  party — your  capture  will  he 
quite  a  coup  for  Boh  here  an'  me  to  pull  off;  an'  besides 
there's  a  nice  little  reward  of  two  thousand  plunks  for  us 
to  share." 

The  girl  staggered  back  and  leant  against  the  table  for 
support.  Her  face  was  pale  but  she  held  her  head  up 
bravely.  Keith  cursed  himself  for  his  helplessness  and 
the  ignominious  part  he  seemed  to  be  playing ;  but  for  the 
life  of  him  he  could  not  help  a  feeling  of  doubt  in  his 
mind  as  to  whether  he  had  been  fooled  or  not.  Stories 
he  had  read  of  charming  and  beautiful  adventuresses 
would  obtrude  themselves  upon  his  memory  in  spite  of 
himself;  and  truth  to  tell,  he  could  not  help  recalling  her 
behaviour  of  the  morning. 

"Oh,  now,  that's  nonsense,  you  know,"  he  said;  "you 
can't  arrest  Miss  Colquhoun  on  a  mere  piece  of  baseless 
suspicion.  Her  suggestion  is  very  proper  that  she  should 
stay  here  until  you  have  time  to  get  your  proofs  from  the 
East ;  and  if  you  can  get  them,  then  you  can  go  ahead  as 
you  please.  I  suppose  the  best  way  would  be  to  wire  to 
have  the  photograph  of  this  Slippy  Sal,  or  whatever  you 


166  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

call  her,  sent  forward  and  then  your  suspicions  will  be 
finally  demolished." 

The  two  inspectors  looked  at  each  other  and  both  shook 
their  heads. 

"No,  no,"  said  Brown  with  a  grim  laugh.  "She'll 
have  to  go  along  with  us.  Bob  and  I  ain't  going  to  take 
any  chances  with  that  two  thousand.  We  are  too  old  birds 
to  be  caught  with  chaff.  You're  young  an'  impressionable, 
my  friend,  and  a  pretty  face  is  everything  to  you,  but  it 
don't  go  down  with  us.  Why,  man,"  he  went  on,  "you 
don't  know  who  her  people  are  yourself,  and  you  say  she's 
a  great  friend  of  yours.  You'd  better  look  out  and  not 
get  yourself  into  trouble." 

Keith  was  at  his  wit's  end  to  know  what  to  do.  The 
men  were  evidently  determined  that  they  were  not  going 
to  run  the  chance  of  losing  the  reward ;  and  the  only  way 
for  them  to  be  sure  that  the  girl  would  not  escape  was  to 
arrest  her.  The  thought  was  terrible  to  him.  There  must 
surely  be  some  alternative. 

"Inspector  Brown,"  he  said,  an  idea  striking  him ;  "have 
you  taken  out  a  warrant  for  Miss  Colquhoun?" 

The  Inspector  hesitated  and  looked  at  his  colleague. 

"Not  yet,"  he  said;  "but  Bob  will  have  one  here  in 
half  an  hour  and  I'll  see  that  she  doesn't  give  us  the  slip 
in  the  meantime." 

"Well,  just  wait  a  bit,  my  friend.  Do  you  mind,  Mr. 
Graham,  if  Miss  Colquhoun  and  I  confer  for  a  moment  in 
your  inner  office  ?  You  needn't  be  afraid,"  he  said  smiling 
at  the  Inspector  who  was  about  to  object.  "We  are  not 
going  to  run  away,  are  we,  Miss  Coon — I  mean  Col- 
quhoun? There's  no  other  door  and  we  certainly  shan't 
jump  out  the  window." 

"I  guess  there's  no  objection  then,"  said  the  Inspector 
grudgingly. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  167 

Keith  led  the  way  and  she  followed  him.  She  was 
trembling  and  her  lip  quivered  as  she  turned  to  face  him. 
She  could  not  trust  herself  to  speak.  As  he  looked  at 
her,  there  was  a  moment  of  temptation  to  take  her  in  his 
arms  to  comfort  her;  and  he  felt  his  suspicions  melting 
away  in  his  pity.  By  an  effort,  however,  he  kept  com- 
mand of  himself. 

"This  is  a  rum  business,"  he  said ;  "and  it's  a  pity  you 
can't  see  your  way  to  satisfying  them  about  your  people  at 
home.  However,  I  suppose  you  have  good  enough  reasons. 
I  am  sorry  they  won't  take  my  word  for  your  respecta- 
bility ;  but  I  suppose,  in  a  way,  you  can't  blame  them.  It's 
their  business  to  be  suspicious  of  people." 

"What  can  I  do  ?"  she  said.  "If  only  Bolton  were  here 
he  could  tell  them  about  me;  but  they  might  refuse  to 
believe  him  even.  There  isn't  time  to  get  him  here  to- 
night and  I  should  detest  the  humiliation  of  it.  I've  gone 
through  enough  of  that  already." 

"What  I  was  going  to  propose  to  you  is  this,"  said 
Keith.  "The  chief  thing  these  men  are  worrying  about 
is  the  reward.  Of  course,  the  glory  counts  with  them  too 
but  the  reward  is  the  chief  thing.  Now  I  have  some  money 
down  here  to  my  credit  in  the  bank,  and  I  can  put  up  se- 
curity of  two  thousand  dollars  with  Mr.  Graham  here — 
a  sort  of  bail  you  might  call  it — that  you'll  not  run  away." 

She  smiled  a  wry  little  smile. 

"Aren't  you  taking  a  pretty  big  risk?"  she  asked.  "I 
really  don't  think  that  you  are  quite  sure  of  me  your- 
self." 

"Why,  of  course,  I  am,"  he  assured  her;  but  for  the 
life  of  him  he  could  not  give  his  voice  the  heartiness  that 
he  wanted.  "Let  us  go  back  now  and  arrange  it  with 
them." 


168  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

They  went  back  to  the  outer  room  again  and  she  took: 
her  seat.  Keith  remained  standing  by  the  window. 

"You  say  that  no  warrant  has  been  issued  for  Miss 
Colquhoun,"  he  said,  "so  I  gather  that  you  are  not  in 
any  way  committed  to  arrest  her  until  you  have  the  fullest 
proof.  Is  that  correct  ?" 

"Quite  correct/'  said  the  Inspector. 

"Well,  then,  I  would  like  to  arrange  this  with  you.  If 
you  arrest  Miss  Colquhoun  now,  you  will  be  very  sorry 
for  it  in  a  few  days  from  now  when  you  find  out  your  mis- 
take. But  I  am  willing  to  put  up  two  thousand  dollars 
with  Mr.  Graham  here  as  security  for  his  reward,  or  bail 
if  you  like,  that  Miss  Colquhoun  will  not  run  away.  I 
shall  give  him  a  letter  authorising  him  to  pay  you  the 
money  if  she  does  so.  If  you  find  out  that  Miss  Colquhoun 
is  not  the  party  you  suspect  she  is,  I  shall  still  give  you 
each  twenty-five  dollars  for  falling  in  with  my  suggestion 
now." 

"That's  all  very  well,"  said  the  Inspector,  "but  you 
see,  sir,  while  we  are  after  the  reward  all  right,  duty  comes 
even  before  that.  If  a  criminal  was  to  escape  because  of 
our  neglect,  we  would  have  the  two  thousand  all  right; 
but  not  with  a  clear  conscience.  Furthermore,  I'm  going 
to  tell  you,  sir — and  it  is  only  fair  to  warn  you — that  if 
she  escaped  it  would  look  mighty  nasty  for  you.  Mis- 
prision  of  felony  is  a  serious  business,  I  can  tell  you." 

"Perhaps  I  might  offer  a  suggestion,"  said  Mr.  Graham. 
"Mr.  Leicester  is  not  going  to  put  up  his  good  money  un- 
less he  knows  that  Miss  Colquhoun  is  all  right.  I'm  quite 
inclined  to  give  her  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  myself.  ]STow 
I  would  propose  this.  You  were  going  to  stay  in  town  for 
a  day  or  two  anyway,  weren't  you,  Miss  Colquhoun  ?" 

She  nodded. 

"And  you,  Mr.  Leicester  ?" 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  169 

"Well,  then,  why  couldn't  Miss  Colquhoun  agree  not  to 
leave  the  hotel  or  go  to  the  dining  room  unless  in  company 
with  Mr.  Leicester?  You  wouldn't  be  afraid  he  would 
voluntarily  let  her  run  off  and  forfeit  his  two  thousand 
dollars,  would  you?"  he  said  to  the  Inspector. 

"No,  I  don't  think  that  would  be  at  all  likely,"  was 
the  reply. 

"]STow  then,  I'll  agree,  for  my  part,  to  keep  a  bell-boy 
always  on  watch  near  Miss  Colquhoun's  door  and  if  she 
leaves  her  room  without  her  gaoler,  I  shall  at  once  be 
notified  and  so  shall  you.  It's  hardly  likely  she  could 
get  out  of  the  city  before  you  would  catch  her.  At  least, 
I  think  that  you  might  take  a  chance  on  that  if  Mr. 
Leicester  is  willing  to  risk  his  two  thousand  dollars.  One 
must  risk  something  for  the  sake  of  being  gallant,  you 
know ;  and  I  must  say  to  judge  by  appearances,  Miss  Col- 
quhoun  is  a  most  charming  and  estimable  young  lady  and 
I  am  deeply  sorry  for  this  annoyance  to  her  while  she  is  a 
guest  of  this  hotel.  What  would  you  think  of  that  scheme, 
Inspector  ?" 

The  Inspector  grunted. 

"Humph,  a  rum  kind  of  a  scheme  it  seems  to  me;  but 
seeing  you  appear  to  think  the  party  is  all  right  and  if 
Mr.  Leicester  here  can  find  the  money  in  the  next  half 
hour,  I  don't  mind  taking  a  chance.  We  must  see  his 
money  first,  though." 

"What  do  you  say,  Mr.  Leicester?" 

"I  don't  see  the  necessity  for  any  of  this  spying  business 
myself ;  but  if  it's  the  only  thing  that  will  satisfy  the  man, 
why  I  suppose,  if  it  suits  Miss  Colquhoun,  it's  the  best 
way  out  of  a  bad  job.  It  puts  me  in  rather  an  ungrate- 
ful role,  however;  but  I'm  sure  I  would  do  my  best  to 
show  her  the  sights  until  the  matter  is  settled.  What  do 
you  say?" 


170  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

She  smiled  although  the  tears  were  in  her  eyes. 

"I  think  if  I  must  have  a  gaoler  I  would  prefer  you  to 
these" ;  and  with  a  gesture  of  disdain  she  turned  her  back 
upon  the  two  officers. 

"Then,  that  is  settled,"  said  Keith  much  relieved.  "May 
I  use  your  telephone,  Mr.  Graham,  to  call  up  the  bank? 
And  if  you  could  give  me  a  Royal  Bank  cheque,  please, 
and  have  your  stenographer  type  the  letter  of  instructions. 
It's  after  hours  but  I  guess  I  can  get  the  manager  to  see 
that  it  is  cashed. 

"Hello,  is  this  the  Royal  Bank  ?  Give  me  the  manager, 
please,"  he  said  when  he  had  got  the  number.  "This  is 
Leicester — Leicester  of  Portlake,  you  know.  I'm  sending 
a  cheque  for  two  thousand  dollars  down  from  the  hotel. 
.Would  you  mind  cashing  it  for  me,  please,  as  a  special 
favour  ?  Yes,  it'll  be  made  payable  to  bearer." 

He  wrote  out  the  cheque  and  Mr.  Graham  with  kindly 
tact  invited  the  officers  to  the  bar  for  some  refreshment. 
They  were  somewhat  loath  to  leave  before  they  had  seen 
the  money  arrive,  to  judge  by  their  backward  glances,  but 
they  did  so  although  with  some  misgivings. 

Keith  and  Miss  Colquhoun  were  left  alone.  He  felt 
miserably  tongue-tied  and  embarrassed.  The  arrangement 
that  had  just  been  made  was  so  extraordinary  that  he 
could  not  quite  see  how  it  would  strike  her.  Very  likely 
she  would  hate  him  for  it  although  he  had  done  the  best 
he  could. 

He  turned  to  look  at  her  and  she  was  in  tears.  She 
had  turned  from  him  and  her  slender  shoulders  quivered 
with  the  violence  of  her  sobs.  She  had  kept  her  self-con- 
trol all  through  the  interview  and  now  that  the  strain  was 
over,  the  reaction  had  come. 

Keith  longed  to  comfort  her  but  the  only  way  that 
appeared  at  all  adequate — to  take  her  in  his  arms — he  was 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  171 

afraid  to  adopt  although  he  found  the  impulse  almost  ir- 
resistible. Adventuress  or  no,  he  would  have  cheerfully 
yielded  to  it  had  he  thought  it  would  be  welcomed ;  but  he 
was  by  no  means  sure  of  how  she  regarded  his  part  in 
the  scene  that  had  just  taken  place.  He,  himself,  could 
not  look  back  on  it  with  any  satisfaction.  Where  he 
might  have  been  ardent  he  had  been  lukewarm  in  her  de- 
fence; and  he  felt  he  would  not  be  surprised  if  Miss 
Colquhoun  should  look  with  cold  favour  on  the  efforts  he 
had  displayed  on  her  behalf.  Past  experience  with  her, 
he  felt,  had  not  led  him  to  expect  any  too  lively  gratitude 
for  services  rendered.  He  was  the  more  surprised  at  him- 
self for  the  tender  glow  which  the  thought  of  her  in- 
variably kindled  within  him  ever  since  the  night  of  the 
,dance;  and  he  felt  that  his  heart  had  got  the  better  of 
his  reasoning  faculties  in  succumbing  to  one  who  was 
capricious  and  exacting. 

He  would  have  been  astonished  had  he  known  that  in 
the  flood  of  conflicting  emotions  that  were  surging  through 
the  girl's  breast  not  the  least  potent  was  the  shame  for 
that  very  caprice  and  pettishness  that  he  had  found  so 
disappointing,  and  the  humiliation  of  the  coals  of  fire 
which  he  had  heaped  upon  her  head.  For  Marjorie  .had 
seen  enough  of  the  world  to  realise  how  much  appearances 
were  against  her  and  what  courage  and  contempt  of  cir- 
cumstances he  had  shown  in  doing  what  he  had.  She 
could  see  very  well  that  he  was  by  no  means  assured,  him- 
self, of  her  honesty ;  and  she  admired  the  daring  that  made 
him  ready  to  stake  so  much  on  it  where  the  chances  ap- 
peared perhaps  even  for  and  against  her. 

To  give  her  time  to  recover  herself,  Keith  went  over  to 
the  table  and  lit  a  cigar ;  and  while  he  busied  himself  about 
this,  making  the  operation  last  as  long  as  possible,  she  was 
able  to  regain  control  of  herself  and  to  wipe  her  eyes. 


172  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"I  hope  you  don't  mind  my  smoking,"  he  said  when  he 
saw  she  was  herself  again ;  "but  I  sort  of  feel  the  need  of 
it.  I  see  you've  found  your  safety-valve ;  and  this  I  sup- 
pose is  mine.  A  cigar  has  a  wonderfully  soothing  effect, 
you  know,  when  the  nerves  are  a  hit  strained." 

"I'm  sorry  to  have  made  a  goose  of  myself,"  she  said, 
her  voice  rather  tremulous ;  "but  the  whole  thing  has  been 
so  distressing.  And  I  am  so  vexed  at  putting  you  in  such 
an  awkward  predicament.  When  I  told  them  to  call  you 
I  thought  all  that  would  be  necessary  would  be  for  you  to 
say  that  you  knew  me.  I — I — w-want  to  tell  you  that  I  am 
sorry  for  the  way  I  treated  you  on  the  train  this  morning. 
I  am  sure  I  didn't  deserve  that  you  should  champion  me 
as  you  did." 

"Oh,  don't  worry  about  that,"  said  Keith.  "I  have  my 
own  cranky  moods,  and  I  know  how  to  make  allowances 
for  those  of  others." 

"I  cannot  thank  you  now  but "  her  voice  choked  and 

jhe  could  see  that  she  was  strongly  moved. 

"Don't  try  to  for  a  moment,"  he  said  interrupting  her. 
"It  is  time  you  had  a  rest.  Suppose  you  go  now  to  your 
room  and  try  to  have  a  nap  before  dinner.  I  shall  come 
for  you  in  an  hour  and  we  will  go  down  together,  if  you 
are  to  allow  me  to  play  the  role  that  was  laid  down  for 
me.  I  shall  try  to  be  as  little  of  a  nuisance  as  possible." 

"Do  you  think  I  may  go  ?"  she  said ;  "or  will  they  be 
making  a  fuss  if  I  leave  before  the  money  is  here  ?" 

"Go  right  along,"  said  Keith.     "I'll  answer  to  them." 


CHAPTER  XXH 

There's  a  land  where  tlie  mountains  are  nameless, 
And  the  rivers  all  run  God  knows  where. 

EGBERT  W.  SERVICE. 

IT  was  a  very  different  girl  that  entered  the  dining  room 
an  hour  and  a  half  later  with  Keith  from  the  one  he  had 
parted  with  in  the  manager's  room.  She  wore  a  dinner- 
gown  of  pink  which  by  some  good  luck  or  prescient  in- 
stinct she  had  brought  with  her  and  the  traces  of  tears 
were  gone.  True  there  was,  perhaps,  it  seemed  to  Keith, 
something  of  a  chastened  look  about  the  eyes  and  a  new 
humility  that  was,  he  thought,  vastly  becoming;  and  as 
they  walked  together  down  the  brilliantly  appointed  room, 
full  of  gaily-gowned  women  and  men,  many  of  whom  were 
in  evening  dress,  he  was  aware  of  a  keen  sense  of  elation 
and  he  was  little  inclined  to  quarrel  with  the  trick  the 
gods  had  played  him.  He  had  expected,  had  she  arrived 
in  time,  to  have  been  dining  with  his  old  love;  but  as 
Marjorie  sat  down  opposite  to  him  at  the  table  for  two  in 
the  far  corner  of  the  big  room,  he  felt  grateful  for  the 
delay  that  made  the  exchange  possible. 

She,  too,  had  her  emotions  and  they  were  not  unpleasant 
ones.  Tor  one  to  whom  a  certain  luxury  had  been  a  part 
of  the  daily  order  of  things  to  return  to  such  a  scene  of 
life  and  colour  and  attired  in  a  manner  to  show  to  ad- 
vantage the  charms  of  her  person  brought  alone  distinct 
satisfaction ;  and  although  her  partner  was  still  wearing  the 
quiet  tweed  suit  he  had  worn  in  the  afternoon,,  she  felt 

173 


174  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

that  with  his  easy  bearing  and  distinguished  cast  of  fea- 
tures he  did  her  no  discredit. 

"You  know,"  he  was  saying,  "when  I  think  that  but 
for  him  you  would  probably  be  sitting  in  lonely  grandeur 
at  one  end  of  the  room  and  I  in  similar  splendid  isolation 
at  the  other,  I  can't  somehow  think  so  hardly  of  that  offi- 
cious little  inspector  after  all." 

"I  don't  want  to  think  about  him,"  she  said  with  a 
little  grimace.  "I'd  rather  talk  about  Dicky  if  you 
please." 

"So  should  I,"  he  assented  heartily.  "Dicky's  a  treas- 
ure." 

"That  reminds  me,"  she  said  with  a  sigh,  "that  I  must 
write  to-night  and  let  them  know  that  I  shall  not  be  home 
when  I  expected.  Dicky  will  be  down  at  to-morrow's 
train  and  he'll  be  greatly  disappointed  when  he  finds  that 
I'm  not  there.  You  see  I  have  undertaken  to  play  the 
role  of  fairy  godmother  to  him." 

"A  charming  role  indeed !"  said  Keith.  "I  congratulate 
you." 

"One  would  have  thought  so,"  she  responded  smiling 
somewhat  ruefully ;  "but  I  have  found  it  a  rather  arduous 
and  unpleasant  one,  in  its  preliminary  stages  at  least." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  that  it  was  for  that  that  you 
were  selling  the  diamonds?"  said  Keith  in  astonishment. 

"The  Boltons  were  hard  up,"  she  confessed.  "It  is  only 
fair  to  you  to  tell  you  in  order  that  you  may  know  that 
your  two  thousand  dollars  is  not  in  danger.  I  had  the 
jewels  of  my  own  and  I  had  no  use  for  them  at  present ; 
and  the  money  was  needed.  I  decided  that  I  would  have 
the  pleasure  of  playing  the  fairy  godmother  to  Dicky  as 
well." 

Outwardly  Keith  remained  unmoved  but  he  felt  that 
a  load  had  been  lifted  off  his  mind.  How  could  he  ever 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  175 

have  doubted  her?  He  was  relieved  of  the  necessity  of 
immediate  reply  by  the  approach  of  the  waiter  for  his 
order.  At  her  request  he  ordered  for  both. 

"You  have  not  told  me  of  what  your  bounties  are  going 
to  consist,"  he  remarked  when  this  weighty  matter  had 
been  disposed  of. 

"After  the  approved  fashion  in  fairy  lore,"  she  said 
smiling,  "I  offered  him  three  wishes  and,  to  get  him  to 
speak  his  true  desires,  I  had  to  make  him  think  it  was 
all  make-believe.  So  he  declared  for  a  bay  pony  with  a 
long  tail,  a  'twenty-two  rifle'  and  an  illustrated  copy  of 
Peter  Pan." 

"Bravo!  for  Dicky,"  said  Keith;  "but,  of  course,  you 
don't  intend  to  give  him  all  these,  do  you  ?" 

"I  have  them  all  now,"  she  averred  proudly.  "At  least, 
I  have  paid  for  two  of  them  but  the  pony  will  have  to 
wait  until  the  pawnbroker  man — I  suppose  to  be  correct 
I  should  say  'my  uncle' — is  satisfied  that  both  the  jewels 
and  the  vendor  are  above  suspicion." 

"If  there  is  any  vacancy  for  a  second  godchild,  please, 
I  think  that  I  would  like  to  apply  for  the  place,"  he  said 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"You're  too  old  and  you're  too  rich,"  she  objected  with 
mock  seriousness. 

"But  you  haven't  bought  the  pony  yet  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  bought  him  this  afternoon  and  he's  down  at  the 
Horse  Show  Building.  I  tried  his  paces  myself  and  they 
are  splendid." 

"Suppose  we  go  for  a  ride  to-morrow  morning,"  he  sug- 
gested. "I  daresay  I  could  hire  a  steed  that  would  carry 
me." 

"Aren't  you  forgetting  the  lady  whom  you  came  down 
to  meet,"  she  said,  a  trifle  roguishly. 

"Don't  let's  speak  of  her,"  he  said  with  a  frown  and  then 


176  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

a  smile;  "let  her  be  taboo  along  with  your  Inspector.  It 
will  be  time  enough  to  consider  her  when  she  arrives." 

They  had  finished  the  fish  course  and  she  was  leaning 
back  in  her  chair  enjoying  the  scene  around  her.  Keith 
sat  admiring  the  delicate  flush  of  her  cheek  and  the  white- 
ness of  her  neck  against  the  pink  of  her  dress.  There 
was  something  exquisitely  graceful  in  the  poise  of  her 
head  and,  apart  from  its  fineness  of  feature  and  harmony 
of  colouring,  something  of  indefinable  charm  in  her  face. 
It  lay  deeper  than  the  mere  physical,  Keith  reflected, 
some  rare  quality  of  personality,  some  subtle  essence  of 
spiritual  beauty  that  looked  out  through  the  deep-blue 
eyes  varying  in  their  hue  like  the  sea  or  suggested  itself 
in  the  sensitive  line  of  her  mobile  mouth,  or  in  the 
winning  grace  of  her  smile.  This  was  the  first  time  really 
that  he  had  had  a  chance  to  speak  to  her  under  conditions 
that  were  favourable;  and  the  attraction  that  he  had  felt 
towards  her  before,  he  now  realised  to  be  greatly  strength- 
ened. She  had  put  aside  the  air  of  reserve  with  which  she 
had  formerly  treated  him — the  distant  politeness  which 
one  exhibits  towards  an  acquaintance  of  whose  intentions 
one  is  doubtful — for  the  confiding  intimacy  of  a  friend. 
Yet  underneath  the  soft  feminine  charm  of  her  manner 
which  he  found  so  delightful,  there  was  an  ease  of  bearing 
and  a  poise  unusual  in  a  young  girl.  He  was  grateful, 
too,  for  the  quiet  way  in  which  she  had  accepted  what  was 
a  difficult  situation  for  both  of  them,  without  fuss  or  af- 
fectation, and  so  had  done  away  with  a  large  part  of  its 
unpleasantness. 

"Do  you  know,"  she  said,  "that  I  feel  almost  as  if  I 
were  in  a  dream.  My  life  has  been  so  different  since  I 
came  out  to  this  country,  so  quiet  and  uneventful ;  and  now, 
to-day,  so  much  seems  to  have  happened  and  I  can  hardly 
believe  the  reality  of  it  all.  There  ig  a  something  about 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  177 

this  city,  you  know,  with  its  lovely  harbour  and  magnificent 
mountains  all  around — a  glamour  that  seems  to  thrill  me 
somehow.  I  have  never  had  exactly  the  same  feeling  with  a 
European  city  and  I  have  been  in  a  great  many  of  them." 

"It  is  the  glamour  of  the  new  to  one  who  has  only  had 
to  do  with  the  older  lands,"  suggested  Keith.  "I  still  have 
the  same  feeling  when  J  look  from  my  front  veranda  at 
home  away  out  to  the  Golden  Ears  and  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains, with  the  great  forests  about  their  slopes ;  and  when 
I  think  that  the  Golden  Ears  were  climbed  for  the  first 
time  a  year  or  so  ago  and  that  the  Blue  Mountains  are 
unreached  as  yet  except  by  a  few  daring  prospectors,  I 
feel  a  thrill  too.  It  is  the  lure  of  the  unknown." 

"Yes,  I  have  felt  that  thrill  myself,"  she  said,  and  her 
face  was  touched  with  a  shade  of  sadness,  "when  the 
sun  was  shining  and  my  heart  was  light;  but  when  the 
shadows  fall,  and  one  is  homesick  or  dejected,  the  loneli- 
ness of  these  unpeopled  places  is  apt  to  fill  one  with  awe 
and  depression." 

"When  I  get  that  sort  of  feeling,"  said  Keith  with  a 
laugh,  "I  go  and  cut  down  a  tree  or  dig  out  a  stump  and 
work  it  off  iny  system  that  way.  Nature  is  always  preach- 
ing to  us.  As  Lowell  says : 

'Against  our  fallen  and  traitor  lives, 
The  great  winds  utter  prophecies;' 

but  it  doesn't  do  to  listen  to  them  or  we  are  likely  to 
lose  heart.  Myself,  I  try  to  see  her  sunny  side." 

"That  is  the  best  way,  no  doubt,"  she  agreed.  "The  pes- 
simist is  never  a  valuable  member  of  the  community.  I 
am  fond  of  Emerson's  cheery  philosophy.  'The  carrion 
in  the  sun,'  he  says,  'will  convert  itself  into  grass  and 
flowers  and  man  though  in  jails  or  on  gibbets  is  on  his 
way  to  all  that  is  good  and  true/ ' 

"Yes,  'tis  a  fine  creed.     What  a  boon  such  men  as  he 


178  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

have  been  to  tlieir  fellows !  What  an  encouragement  when 
things  are  going  wrong.  Stevenson  was  another.  His  own 
life  was  full  of  suffering  but  all  that  he  gave  out  was  full 
of  sweetness  and  light.  Poor  old  Carlyle,  on  the  other  hand, 
prophet  and  seer  as  he  was,  gives  most  people  the  blues." 

"But  look  what  is  going  on  in  the  West,"  he  said  break- 
ing off  and  pointing  out  through  the  window  where  the 
setting  sun  was  suffusing  the  sky  with  a  crimson  glow. 
"Let  us  go  down  to  English  Bay  and  go  out  in  a  canoe 
for  an  hour  or  so." 

"Oh,  I  have  never  been  in  a  canoe,"  she  said,  but  her 
face  fell.  "I  think  that  I  had  better  not  go,  however,  thank 
you,"  she  went  on  and  her  tone  was  one  of  regret;  "I 
must  write  to  Dicky,  you  know." 

"Please,"  he  begged.  "You  can  write  Dicky  when  you 
come  back.  Take  pity  on  my  loneliness  in  a  strange  city. 
It  would  be  positively  criminal  to  waste  this  lovely  evening 
in  a  stuffy  hotel  bedroom.  Such  a  night  and  the  oppor- 
tunity may  never  come  again,"  and  Keith  thought  with  a 
pang  of  Patricia  speeding  rapidly  westward  on  the  train. 

"I  hardly  think  I  ought,"  she  said  but  her  tone  was  less 
decided. 

"You've  never  known  the  charms  of  English  Bay  at  sun- 
down," he  said,  waxing  eloquent,  "the  shimmering  tints 
of  crimson  and  violet  and  yellow  and  gold ;  the  opalescent 
splendours  as  the  radiance  gradually  dies  away;  the  dark 
blues  and  purples  of  the  hills  outlined  against  the  sky; 
the  flickering  lights  of  the  fishing  boats  away  out  near 
the  horizon ;  and  then,  landward,  the  beach  full  of  people 
and  behind,  the  town  all  cheery  with  its  street  lamps  and 
its  countless  gleaming  windows." 

"It  sounds  alluring,"  she  said  with  a  smile. 

"The  winds  are  calling  and  the  summer  moon,"  he 
softly  urged.  "Come." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

So  silently  we  two 

Lounge  in  our  still  canoe, 
Nor  fate  nor  fortune  matters  to  us  now; 

So  long  as  we  alone 
May  call  this  dream  our  own, 

The  breeze  may  die,  the  sail  may  droop, 
We  care  not  when  or  how. 

PAULINE  JOHNSON. 


"!T  is  everything  that  you  said  for  it  and  a  hundred 
times  more,"  said  Marjorie  with  enthusiasm. 

They  had  paddled  away  past  Second  Beach  with  its 
crescent  of  yellow  sand  and  its  dainty  pavilion  nestling 
against  the  trees ;  and  then  out  as  far  as  Ferguson  Point 
skirting  the  wooded  shores  of  Stanley  Park  on  which  they 
could  see  every  now  and  then  the  bright  lights  of  a  motor 
passing  along  the  driveway.  Then  they  had  turned  sea- 
ward for  half  a  mile  or  so  and  made  a  detour  and  now 
they  were  again  approaching  the  Beach  and  the  Prome- 
nade Pier  they  had  left. 

She  reclined  on  pillows  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe  while 
he  knelt  upright  in  the  stern  looking  down  on  her,  pad- 
dling with  long,  easy  strokes  that  appeared  to  require 
but  slight  effort  and  yet  carried  the  light  craft  along  at  a 
fair  rate  of  speed.  He  had  doffed  hat  and  coat  and  rolled 
up  his  sleeves  and  when  she  looked  at  him  as  she  needs 
must  at  times,  and  noted  the  easy,  rhythmic  swing  of  his 
arms,  the  play  of  the  muscles  beneath  the  white  skin  and 
the  strong,  clean-cut  face  browned  with  the  sun,  she 

179 


I  So  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

could  not  but  admit  to  herself  that  he  made  a  figure  pic- 
turesque enough  to  be  in  full  harmony  with  the  scene  and 
the  craft  that  bore  them,  itself  light  and  graceful  enough 
for  a  fairy  shallop. 

"Then  I  am  a  hundred  times  rewarded  to  know  that  it 
has  your  approval,"  he  said,  smiling  down  upon  her. 

"And  the  night  is  perfect,"  she  continued,  with  a  sigh  of 
contentment.  "That  dim  outline  of  land  on  the  horizon 
might  well  be  that  of  'the  fortunate  isles' !  the  fabulous 
islands  of  the  blessed." 

"Yes,  or  you  might  call  it  Ultima  TTiule,  although  it  is 
hardly  distant  enough.  That  is  Vancouver  Island ;  and  the 
islanders  themselves  would  willingly  uphold  the  truth  of 
your  conjecture.  For  they  claim  wonderful  things  for  it 
in  the  way  of  climate  and  resources." 

"And  those  flickering  lights  are  fishing  boats,  are  they  ?" 
she  queried.  "It  is  a  strange  enough  life  to  be  out  that 
way  all  night  beneath  the  stars,"  she  mused.  "And  yet  I 
suppose  a  happy  one.  Not  much  to  fret  one  so  long  as 
the  weather  keeps  fine." 

"At  least,  a  more  eventful  life  than  that  of  the  light- 
house keeper  over  there,"  said  Keith,  nodding  towards 
where  Point  Atkinson  flashed  its  intermittent  beam  across 
the  water. 

"Not  a  more  inspiring  one  though,  I  should  think.  It 
must  be  grand  to  think  that  week  in,  week  out  through! 
sunshine  and  tempest  one  remains  steadfast  keeping  the 
light  burning  for  the  safety  and  protection  of  all  that 
pass." 

"Yes,  in  one  way,  it  is  a  godlike  vocation;  but  oh", 
so  lonely  for  a  mere  human  being." 

She  was  silent  for  a  while,  gazing  wistfully  across  the 
water. 

"Loneliness  is  a  terrible  thing  after  all.       I  did  not 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  181 

realise  it  until  J  left  home  to  come  out  here.     I  had 
never  been  among  strangers  before." 

"You  certainly  must  have  thought  me  a  brute  that 
•night  I  drove  you  up,"  said  Keith,  squirming  inwardly 
at  the  remembrance. 

"I  certainly  thought  you  were  condescending,"  and  she 
smiled  up  at  him.  "I  had  heard  of  the  superior  airs  of 
the  Englishman  abroad  on  the  journey  over  but  I  did  not 
think  I  was  so  soon  to  experience  them." 

"But  you  are  English  yourself,  are  you  not  ?"  he  said. 

"No,  ,1  was  born  in  Scotland  and  my  family  is  Scottish, 
although  I  have  lived  most  of  my  life  in  England." 

It  was  on  Keith's  tongue  to  ask  more  but  he  restrained 
himself,  feeling  that  it  was  for  her  to  give,  not  for  him 
to  solicit  her  confidence.  But  she  turned  away  from  the 
subject. 

"I  have  heard  canoeing  spoken  of  as  the  poetry  of  mo- 
tion," she  remarked;  "now  I  can  recognise  the  aptness 
of  the  phrase.  Lying  here  in  this  glorious  summer  twi- 
light, it  seems  hard  to  realise  that  one  must  go  back  to  the 
grim  realities  of  life.  You  have  given  me  great  enjoy- 
ment to-night." 

It  was  now  so  dim  that  he  could  not  clearly  see  her 
features;  but  there  was  a  note  of  grateful  acknowledg- 
ment in  her  voice  that  made  his  heart  leap  to  hear  it. 
There  was  a  somethng  of  intimacy  too,  for  which  he  was 
glad.  He  wondered  if,  by  the  grim  realities  of  life,  she1 
was  thinking  of  Inspector  Brown,  but  he  had  not  the 
hardihood  to  ask.  That  some  sorrow  or  anxiety  was  troub- 
ling her,  was  evident,  however. 

They  had  now  come  quite  close  to  the  beach  again  and 
Keith  swung  the  canoe  round  broadside-on  to  it  and  stopped 
their  way,  so  that  she  could  have  a  view. 

Numerous  bathers  were  still  swimming  about  or  div- 


182  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

ing  from  the  high  platform  of  the  raft  or  sliding  swiftly 
down  the  chute,  their  wet  bodies  glistening  white  in  the 
moonlight,  while  launches  and  rowboats  and  dainty  canoes 
glided  slowly  in  and  out  among  them.  At  one  end  of  the 
beach,  on  a  tiny  stage  erected  with  its  back  to  the  sea, 
the  Pierrots  were  entertaining  their  nightly  audience 
spread  out  on  the  sand  and  thronging  the  high  bank  before 
them ;  and  at  the  other,  round  a  huge  bonfire  of  driftwood, 
a  group  of  small  boys  in  their  bathing  suits  toasted  their 
shivering  bodies,  gleaming  like  copper  in  the  glow  of  its 
blaze.  The  boulevard  above  it  all  was  thronged  with  peo- 
ple, carriages  and  motors;  and  in  the  bandstand  beyond, 
•a.  band  was  playing  and  the  strains,  softened  by  the 
distance,  sounded  sweetly  over  the  water.  The  air  was 
"Believe  Me  if  All  Those  Endearing  Young  Charms," 
Moore's  fine  old  ballad. 

Both  remained  silent  for  a  while  drinking  in  the  beauty 
of  the  spectacle  and  listening  to  the  haunting  cadences  of 
the  melody.  Keith  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Those  youngsters  by  the  fire  are  having  a  glorious  time ; 
all  through  the  summer  every  night  you  see  them  roasting 
and  shivering  at  the  same  time,"  he  said.  "That  is  the  sort 
of  thing  that  Dick  would  enjoy.  That  reminds  me,  too," 
the  sight  of  the  ring  of  Cupids  had  recalled  his  jest  with' 
Dicky,  "if  you  are  taking  a  gun  to  him,  I  must  take  him  a 
bow  and  arrows." 

As  soon  as  the  words  were  out  of  his  mouth,  he  remem- 
bered that  Dick  had  repeated  his  playful  remark  about 
his  message  making  him  worthy  of  wings  and  a  bow  and 
arrows  to  Marjorie  on  the  night  of  the  dance  during  the 
ride  home ;  and  that  she  had  probably  made  a  shrewd  guess 
at  the  application.  He  instantly  reviled  himself  for  his 
carelessness  but  hoped  the  remark  would  pass  unnoticed. 

The  hope,  however,  was  but  shortlived.    The  girl  had, 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  183 

indeed,  been  quick  to  take  note;  and  all  the  humiliation 
that  she  had  felt,  the  night  of  the  dance,  after  she  had 
found  that  Keith  had  taken  her  at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Bol- 
ton,  came  tack  to  her.  The  remarks  about  him  made 
by  the  girl  she  had  met,  and  Dicky's  naive  betrayal  of  the 
little  jest  about  the  latter's  being  the  little  god  of  love — 
all  the  indignation  and  injury  to  her  pride  she  had  felt 
at  the  time — came  back  to  her.  Then  the  contempt  she 
had  felt  when  told  by  Forrest  Eaton  how  Mr.  Leicester 
had  punished  the  boy,  evidently  for  having  given  away 
the  secret  the  night  before,  passed  through  her  mind. 

She  had  not  done  right,  she  felt,  in  coming  out  alone 
in  this  way  with  a  man  she  hardly  knew,  and  of  whom, 
in  spite  of  a  charm  of  manner  and  a  real  likeableness 
which  she  could  not  deny,  she  had  reason  to  entertain 
grave  doubts.  Staying  alone  in  a  strange  city  without  any 
chaperon  or  protector,  she  had  the  more  need  to  walk 
circumspectly.  Circumstances  extraordinary  had  forced 
her  to  accept  a  favour  from  him  and  a  certain  amount  of 
his  company  as  well  for  several  days,  at  least;  and  it 
came  to  her  now  for  the  first  time  with  some  force,  that 
the  situation  was  one  which  called  for  the  exercise  of  the 
utmost  prudence. 

"It  is  getting  late  I  am  afraid,  and  time  we  were  get- 
ting home,"  she  said ;  and  slight  as  was  the  change  in  her 
tone  he  did  not  fail  to  mark  it.  The  friendly  note  of  in- 
timacy had  gone. 

He  did  not  waste  time  in  argument  but  turning  the  head 
of  the  canoe  paddled  slowly  to  the  pier  where  they  were 
soon  landed.  They  took  the  car  to  the  hotel  and  little 
was  said  on  the  way  back.  As  she  said  good-night  at  the 
elevator,  she  thanked  him  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  eve- 
ning; but  he  felt  that  there  was  a  constraint  in  her  man- 


184  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

ner  and  her  words  were  perfunctory  rather  than  the 
spontaneous  expression  of  her  feelings. 

So  in  the  halcyon  hours  of  sweet  companionship  be- 
tween a  man  and  a  maid,  the  honey  is  often  of  a  sudden 
made  bitter  by  the  gall.  The  very  purity  and  the  intensity 
of  the  joy  occasioned  by  the  pair's  mutual  presence,  the 
very  ecstasy  of  the  glamour  that  surrounds  the  first  dawn- 
ing of  love's  passion,  makes  the  danger  of  reaction  the 
greater.  There  is  all  the  fairy-like  beauty  of  the  but- 
terfly's wing  but  with  all  its  tenuous  fragility;  all  its 
shimmering  iridescence  in  the  sunlight  but  with  its  ten- 
dency to  droop  dull  and  lustreless  under  the  unfriendly 
rain.  Keith  had  something  of  this  in  his  mind  as  he 
sought  the  solace  of  a  cigar  in  the  smoking-room.  Their 
hour  of  companionship  in  the  soft  summer  twilight  had 
been  so  sweet,  so  perfect  in  the  sense  of  a  complete  accord 
of  sympathies  between  them  and  in  the  idyllic  environ- 
ment of  sea  and  sky  and  balmy  evening  breeze.  And  then 
to  end  so  disappointingly!  It  had  been  like  a  jarring  dis- 
cord at  the  close  of  a  strain  of  sweet  music. 

The  same  shimmering  opal  sea,  the  same  summer  sky 
and  the  same  girl  sitting  in  the  canoe  beside  him — would 
it  ever  come  again,  he  wondered;  and  sighed  as  he  threw 
away  his  cigar  and  rose  to  seek  his  room. 

And  Marjorie,  too,  couched  in  her  chamber  by  the 
turret,  like  some  mediaeval  maiden,  in  the  great  hostelry 
teeming  with  its  multitudinous  guests,  what  were  her 
thoughts  as  she  looked  out  over  the  city  with  its  twinkling 
lights  and  the  quiet  Inlet  to  the  great  mountain  barrier 
across  the  northern  sky  ?  Something  there  was  in  them,  no 
doubt,  of  similar  disappointment,  of  a  sense  of  rude  awak- 
ening from  a  pleasant  dream.  She,  too,  had  had  her  emo- 
tions and  her  heart  throbbed  with  unwonted  thrills  and 
was  stirred  by  a  strange  disquietude. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Write  till  your  ink  be  dry;  and  with  your  tears 
Moist  it  again;  and  frame  some  feeling  line, 
That  may  discover  such  integrity. 

SHAKESPEARE. 

THE  next  morning,  to  Keith's  distress,  Marjorie  sent 
down  word  that  she  was  going  to  breakfast  in  her  room. 
He  had  hoped  that  the  night  would  bring  counsel,  and  she 
would  be  ready  to  forget  the  displeasure  occasioned  by 
his  unfortunate  reference. 

"There's  something  she  hasn't  forgiven  me  for  yet ;  and 
I  can't  just  make  up  my  mind  what  it  is,"  he  thought  to 
himself  as  he  sat  at  his  breakfast  and,  in  spite  of  his  per- 
plexity, did  ample  justice  to  a  plate  of  bacon  and  eggs, 
not  to  mention  the  grape  fruit,  porridge  and  hotcakes.  "I 
shall  have  it  out  with  her,  anyway,  the  first  opportunity, 
and  clear  the  air.  I  can't  afford  to  lose  any  time." 

Marjorie  on  her  side  had  not  slept  much  through  the 
night  and  the  headache  that  she  pleaded  was  no  sham  one. 
There  had  been  another  of  these  annoying  altercations 
going  on  inside  of  her.  This  time  it  was  between  her  heart 
and  her  reason;  and  the  two  of  them  had  been  hard  at  it, 
all  night  long. 

"You  are  letting  yourself  be  affected  by  this  young 
farmer  who  is  continually  thrusting  himself  in  your  way," 
scolded  Reason. 

"He  has  been  kind  to  me  and  I  can  not  be  altogether 
rude  to  him  in  return,  can  I  ?"  said  her  heart  in  defence. 

"You  will  find  yourself  caught  before  you  know  it. 

185 


1 86  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

The  fellow,  very  likely,  is  just  amusing  himself  with  you ; 
if  what  Miss  Arbuthnot  told  you  is  true,"  scoffed  Reason. 

"I  don't  believe  it.  Mr.  Leicester  is  a  gentleman  if 
appearances  go  for  anything.  His  manner,  his  conver- 
sation and  his  kindly  tact,  everything  shows  it,"  answered 
Heart  with  some  warmth. 

"Much  kindliness  he  showed  when  he  thrashed  poor 
Dicky  for  giving  his  secrets  away,"  nagged  Reason  again. 

"There  may  have  been  some  cause  for  it  that  you  don't 
know  of,"  urged  Heart;  and  so  the  two  went  on. 

However,  in  the  end  Reason  had  the  best  of  it  for  Mar- 
jorie  did  not  go  down  to  breakfast ;  and  when  Keith  tele- 
phoned, after  he  had  finished  his,  to  ask  if  she  was  going 
out  with  him,  she  said  no.  She  had  a  bad  headache  and 
she  did  not  know  whether  she  would  be  down  to  lunch 
either.  Her  tone  was  so  cold  that  he  had  not  the  heart 
to  argue  the  matter  with  her ;  and  so  he  hung  up  the  tube 
and  went  into  the  writing  room,  much  cast  down. 

He  felt  sure  that  the  headache  was  simply  a  subterfuge. 
Patricia  had  been  subject  to  headaches  of  this  kind  and 
he  had  learned  to  dread  them.  A  headache  was  so  often  a 
euphemism  for  the  sulks. 

He  thought  that  he  would  write  her  a  few  lines  asking 
what  he  had  done  to  offend  her ;  but  after  making  one  or 
two  attempts,  he  gave  it  up.  He  could  not  strike  just  the 
note  that  he  wanted. 

All  at  once,  he  had  an  idea. 

"I'll  write  her  in  rhyme,"  he  said  to  himself,  "in  a 
humorous  strain  that  will  make  her  laugh.  She  can't 
hold  her  anger  if  she  laughs.  That's  good  psychology.  I 
used  to  write  half-way  decent  verse  at  college  and  what's 
the  good  of  an  Oxford  education  if  it  can't  help  a  fellow 
out  in  a  crisis  like  this." 

He  decided  that  the  ballade  form  was  the  most  suitable 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  187 

for  the  tone,  half  jesting  half  in  earnest,  that  hie  wished  to 
adopt;  and  burying  himself  at  a  table  over  in  the  corner 
of  the  room,  in  an  hour  or  so  he  had  produced  the  follow- 
ing: 

To  Coventry  I'm  sent  to  pine 

And  lonely  here  I  must  remain 
Until  your  pity  shall  incline 

To  call  me  to  your  side  again: 
It  would  not  give  me  half  the  pain— 

For  pain  there  is,  one  can't  deny— 
One's  penance  one  would  not  complain 

If  one  l>ut  knew  the  reason  why! 

'A  place  of  punishment  condign 

Enough  to  male  one  go  insane; 
The  streets  all  bare;  no  face,  in  fine 

To  cheer  one;  just  as  if  again 
The  fair  Godira  did  ordain 

All  stay  indoors  till  she  pa-ss  by; 
To  kiss  the  rod  one  would  be  fain 

If  one  but  knew  the  reason  why! 

One  might  be  bold  and  send  a  line 

And  put  the  question  plump  and  plain, 
Just  what  has  been  the  crime?  and  sign 

And  take  the  risk  of  her  disdain: 
One  might  get  one's  recall  again — 

It  would  be  worth  one's  while  to  try— 
'At  least,  it  would  assuage  the  pain 

If  one  but  knew  the  reason  why! 

'And  so,  at  risk  of  your  disdain, 

I  write  to  say  with  many  a  sigh 
That  it  would  really  ease  one's  pain 

If  one  but  knew  the  reason  why! 

"Keith",  my  boy,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  folded  it  up 
and  placed  it  in  an  envelope  addressed  to  Miss  Colquhoun, 
"I'm  afraid  you're  in  a  bad  way  to  be  writing  verse  to  a 
lady  at  your  time  of  life.  It  might  be  all  right  in  a  boy 
of  twenty;  but  at  twenty-nine,  it's  a  very  grave  and  seri- 
ous matter.  However  here  goes!" 


i88  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

.  He  dispatched  the  letter  by  a  bell-boy  with  instructions 
to  wait  for  an  answer.  It  was  not  very  long  in  coming. 
The  lady  said  she  would  be  down  to  lunch  at  one  o'clock, 
the  boy  said;  and  he  was  roundly  astonished  at  the  gen- 
erosity of  his  tip. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A  lovely  ladie  rode  him  faire  beside. 


SPEXSEB. 


"I  WAS  wondering  if  you  would  be  good  enough  to  give 
me  an  answer  to  my  note  of  this  morning,"  said  Keith 
that  afternoon  to  Marjorie  as  they  rode  slowly  along  past 
the  buffalo  enclosure  and  the  Yacht  Club  quarters  in 
Stanley  Park. 

They  had  lunched  together  without  a  word  having  been 
said  about  his  verses  or  the  circumstances  that  evoked 
them.  Both  had  felt  that  an  explanation  of  some  kind 
was  inevitable.  The  girl  desired  to  put  it  off  as  long  as 
possible,  while  Keith  did  not  want  to  ask  for  it  in  the 
dining-room  where  there  were  so  many  eyes  around  them. 
After  lunch,  they  had  gone  down  to  the  Horse  Show  Build- 
ing where  Puck,  the  bay  pony,  had  been  examined  and 
duly  approved  by  Keith  before  being  saddled.  Mr.  Cal- 
laghan  had  also  produced  a  fine  black  thoroughbred  called 
"the  Cid"  on  which  Keith  was  now  mounted. 

"I  see  that  Horace  was  not  the  only  farmer  poet," 
she  temporised,  patting  the  glossy  neck  of  the  little  horse. 

"Horace,  at  least,  I  fancy  was  too  much  the  courtier, 
too  much  the  man  of  the  world,  to  be  always  putting  his 
foot  in  it  like  me." 

She  shot  a  fleeting,  roguish  glance  at  him  from  tinder 
her  long  eyelashes. 

"Maybe  he  was  better  tempered,"  she  hazarded. 

"He  was  only  a  sort  of  gentleman  farmer,"  said  Keith 

189 


190  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

in  deprecation;  "and  didn't  have  anything  to  try  his 
temper.  Now,  if  he  had  had  to  do  some  land-clearing,  he 
might  have  been  bad-tempered  too.  He  never  had  to  dig 
out  a  cedar  stump  or  wrestle  with  vine-maple;  or  he 
wouldn't  have  written  so  philosophically." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  I  remember  one  of  the  odes  where 
he  describes  how  he  narrowly  escaped  being  killed  by  a 
tree  falling  on  top  of  him,"  she  demurred. 

"Aha!"  said  Keith  to  himself,  "so  she  knows  Horace 
as  well  as  that,  does  she?  I'm  afraid,  Mrs.  Dalrymple, 
we  shall  have  to  throw  aside  your  housekeeper's  daughter 
hypothesis  and  seek  for  something  more  in  keeping  with 
the  phenomena.  Indeed,  I  discarded  it  long  ago  I'm 
afraid." 

'  "I  see  you  know  your  Horace,"  he  said  aloud ;  "but  if 
you  know  him  so  intimately,  you  will  remember  that  he 
wasn't  very  good  tempered  over  it — in  fact,  he  cursed  the 
tree  and  the  man  that  planted  it  as  well.  However,  we're 
getting  away  from  the  question  I'm  afraid." 

She  did  not  speak,  but  her  fingers  were  busy  plaiting  the 
mane  of  her  horse  who  was  arching  his  neck  proudly  as  if 
pleased  at  the  honour. 

"You  know  it  has  often  appeared  to  me,"  Keith  went 
on  reflectively,  "that  the  average  chap  like  myself,  when 
he  presumes  to  enjoy  the  companionship  of  the  other 
sex,  amid  their  finer  perceptions  and  quicker  intuitions, 
is  just  like  a  frolicsome  young  St.  Bernard  in  a  drawing- 
room  full  of  china  and  costly  bric-a-brac.  He  means  well, 
but  he  does  not  realise  the  damage  and  destruction  he  is 
doing." 

"I  fear  you  are  speaking  in  irony,"  she  said,  still  keep- 
ing her  eyes  turned  down. 

"Not  at  all;  I  am  speaking  in  earnest,"  he  affirmed. 
"Last  night  we  were  getting  on  splendidly  and  I  thought 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  191 

that  my  past  blunders  had  been  forgiven ;  and  then  I  said 
something  and,  in  a  moment,  you  were  as  distant  as  the 
poles.  Again,  on  the  train  you  would  scarcely  speak  to 
me  at  all." 

"I  was  unpardonably  rude,"  she  confessed ;  "and  I  was 
sorry  afterwards.  We  are  creatures  of  impulse,  you 
know,  and  we  do  things  without  thinking;  later  we  suffer 
agonies  of  remorse." 

"Yes,  but  there  was  some  reason  behind  the  impulse; 
if  one  but  knew  the  reason  why,"  he  quoted.  "The  ac- 
cused— or  I  should  say  the  convicted,  I  suppose,  in  this 
case — has  a  right  to  know  the  nature  of  the  charge  against 
him." 

"I  have  apologised,"  she  said  and  there  was  a  slight 
tremor  in  her  voice:  "surely  that  is  sufficient.  You  pay 
too  much  attention  to  a  silly  girl's  whims  and  fancies. 
We  are  losing  all  the  beauty  of  this  lovely  scenery." 

"I'm  sorry  to  be  so  obstinate,"  he  persisted;  "but  if 
there  is  any  misapprehension  in  your  mind,  I  should  like 
to  clear  it  up.  Yesterday  in  the  train,  now,  just  what 
made  you  snub  me  so  unmercifully  when  I  was  trying  to 
be  as  civil  as  I  could?" 

"Well,  if  you  will  have  it,"  she  said,  turning  round  to 
look  at  him,  "I  was  angry  because  you  thrashed  Dicky." 

Keith  looked  at  her  in  astonishment. 

"Because  I  thrashed  Dicky !"  he  repeated  wonderingly, 
and  then  he  laughed  softly.  There  was  no  sign  in  his 
manner  of  the  confusion  which  she  had  dreaded,  yet  ex- 
pected to  see.  "Who  told  you  that  I  thrashed  Dicky?" 
he  asked.  "Not  the  boy  himself,  I'm  sure." 

"Oh  no,  not  Dicky,  of  course,"  she  hastened  to  say; 
"but  some  one  saw  it  and  told  me.  It  was  in  confidence, 
you  see." 

"And  so  I  was  to  be  sent  to  Coventry  without  the 


192  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

chance  to  say  a  word  in  my  defence/'  he  complained. 
"Now  was  that  fair  play,  do  you  think  ?" 

"It  did  not  seem  to  me  that  there  could  be  any  defence," 
she  returned ;  but  her  tone  had  a  shade  of  indecision.  The 
thought  was  borne  in  upon  her  that  perhaps  there  was 
some  mistake ;  and  it  made  her  cold  with  apprehension. 

"And  to  think  that  in  certain  of  the  United  States  they 
have  the  ladies  sitting  on  the  Jury!"  he  cried  in  mock 
despair.  "Dick,  the  injured  party  himself,  did  not  bear 
any  malice,  did  he?" 

"Before,  he  used  to  talk  about  you  all  the  time,"  she 
replied ;  "and  since  that,  he's  never  mentioned  your  name 
to  me  once." 

"Ah  well,  there  was  a  reason  for  that,"  said  Keith; 
"but  we're  still  as  friendly  as  ever.  But  why  in  all  the 
world,"  he  went  on  with  a  puzzled  air,  "why  should  I, 
of  all  people,  thrash  Dicky  ?" 

"I — I  thought  that  you  had  been  punishing  him  for 
having  given  you  away,"  she  stammered  painfully,  "for 
having  let  it  out  that — that  his  mother  had  asked  you  to 
take  me  that  night.  I  couldn't  think  of  any  other  reason 
you  could  have." 

"But  it  was  Forrest  Eaton  that  gave  Dicky  the  beating," 
he  said  taking  pity  on  her  distress  and  hastening  to  turn 
the  subject  into  a  channel  that  would  be  less  painful  to 
her.  "The  young  bully  set  upon  him  down  by  the  creek — 
at  least  he  began  to  tease  poor  Dicky  who  was  a  bit  down  in 
the  mouth  anyway — and  the  youngster  started  to  go  for 
him.  Forrest,  however,  managed  to  get  Dicky  down  and 
then  hammered  him  until  Csesar  came  along  and  scared 
him  off." 

"Oh,  what  a  shame !"  said  Marjorie  forgetting  her  own 
discomfiture  in  her  indignation.  "Then  he  was  lying  to 
me !  It  was  he  that  blamed  it  upon  you.  I  hated  to  be- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  193 

lieve  it ;  I  ought  to  have  known  you  better,"  she  concluded 
contritely,  "but  I  never  imagined  the  boy  would  tell  a  lie 
about  it." 

"  'Give  a  dog  a  bad  name !'  you  know,"  Keith  quoted 
with  a  smile.  "Never  mind,  though;  next  time  I  hope 
that  you  will  know  me  better.  I  have  plenty  of  faults,  but 
I  really  think  that  vindictiveness  is  not  one  of  them." 

"You  are  certainly  proving  it  now,"  she  said  humbly. 

She  was  thinking  of  the  rudeness  he  had  borne  from 
her,  the  snubs  and  the  slights;  and  through  them  all  he 
had  been  invariably  courteous  and  forbearing.  She  hated 
to  contemplate  what  he  must  have  thought  of  her.  Now 
under  this  culminating  insult  it  was  evident  that  he  bore 
her  no  malice.  She  felt  profoundly  grateful  that  he  had 
passed  it  over  so  lightly. 

"I  can  only  say  how  sorry  I  am,"  she  said  at  last,  "and 
offer  to  do  penance.  I  am  on  my  knees  before  you." 

"Do  you  submit  yourself  unreservedly  for  sentence?" 
he  asked  smiling. 

"Unreservedly,"  she  answered. 

"But  before  I  pronounce  it,  I  must  know  whether  this 
was  all  that  you  had  against  me  or  was  there  anything 
else,"  he  pressed. 

"There  was  nothing  else,"  she  assured  him.  "Of  course, 
when  I  came  to  my  sober  senses,  I  could  not  blame  you  for 
your  kindness  in  taking  me  to  the  dance.  It  was  not 
your  fault  that  you  were  asked  to  do  so ;  and  it  was  only 
my  pride  that  made  me  so  rude  over  the  matter." 

She  thought  of  what  Miss  Arbuthnot  had  told  her,  but 
she  now  put  no  faith  in  that  young  lady's  words.  She 
felt  that  they  would  prove  false;  just  as  this  other  thing 
had  turned  out  to  be  a  mistake. 

"My  sentence  is  this,  then,"  said  Keith,  "that  while. 


194  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

you  are  in  town,  you  must  permit  me  to  show  you  some 
of  the  beauty  spots;  and  when  you  go  back  to  Portlake, 
you  will  be  able  to  tell  Dick  all  about  it." 

"Shall  we  try  a  gallop?"  suggested  Marjorie. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

"By  the  far  Western  sea,  near  the  bend  of  the  bay, 

Where  the  hush  of  the  wild  meets  the  song  of  the  spray, 

In  nature's  rich  vestments    an  Eden  arrayed, 
Sanctuary  mine,  sweet  Stanley  Glade. 

CAPT.  CHARLES  EDDIE. 

She  sleeps  between  the  mountains  and  the  sea, 
In  that  great  Abbey  of  the  setting  sun; 

A  princess,  poet,  woman — three  in  one; 
And  fine  in  every  measure  of  the  three. 

WILSON  MACDONALD. 

MABJOBIE'S  heart  felt  as  if  a  weight  had  been  lifted 
from  it  by  Keith's  explanation  and  in  the  balmy  air  of 
the  summer  afternoon  with  the  sea  and  the  mountains 
all  around  and  Puck  full  of  spirit  and  fire  beneath  her, 
she  prepared  to  enjoy  the  afternoon  to  the  full. 

It  was  true  that  her  circumstances  were  such  as  might 
well  cause  her  anxiety,  had  she  been  one  of  those  people 
that  are  always  ready  to  meet  trouble  half-way.  She  lay 
under  suspicion  of  the  police  and  was  liable  to  be  ar- 
rested at  any  time  should  the  detectives  repent  of  their 
clemency;  and  although  conscious  of  her  own  innocence 
she  knew  that  she  would  be  released  again,  still  the  pos- 
sibility was  not  pleasant  to  contemplate.  To  appeal  to 
her  people  for  help  in  such  an  extremity,  after  the  way 
in  which  she  had  left  them,  she  felt,  would  be  an  alterna- 
tive almost  as  humiliating  as  arrest. 

In  spite  of  this  possibility,  however,  that  lay  at  the 
back  of  her  consciousness,  she  did  not  allow  herself  to  bo 
cast  down.  Notwithstanding  her  sheltered  upbringing  she 


196  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

had  developed  somehow  or  other  a  character  of  considerable 
self-reliance  and  strength,  which  with  her  coming  to  Can- 
ada had  been  further  developed  by  her  experiences  and 
the  way  she  had  met  them.  For  all  her  repose  of  manner, 
she  was  full  of  the  glorious  vitality  of  youth ;  and  perhaps 
the  knowledge  of  peril  just  past  or  still  imminent  added 
a  zest  and  a  keenness  to  the  sense  of  adventure  that  thrilled 
her  piquantly  to-day. 

"This  is  glorious,"  she  said  exultingly.  "You  must  be 
a  proper  cicerone  and  show  me  everything  of  interest. 
You  must  point  out  to  me  all  the  wonders  and  the  beauty- 
spots  of  this  Stanley  Park  that  I  have  heard  so  much 
about,"  she  said  looking  around  at  Keith. 

They  had  reined  up  their  horses  at  Brockton  Point  on 
the  stone  rampart  above  the  lighthouse  to  enjoy  the  won- 
derful view.  To  the  left  lay  the  Narrows  through  which 
a  tug  was  coming  on  the  flood  tide  with  a  boom  of  logs 
in  tow;  straight  ahead  the  North  Vancouver  shore  with 
the  mountains  still  snow-capped  above;  and  to  the  right, 
the  Inlet  stretching  away  in  the  distance,  its  shores  lined 
with  infant  industries  and  its  waters  dotted  with  craft 
of  all  descriptions. 

"That's  just  what  I  mustn't  do,"  said  Keith  smiling.  "I 
don't  want  to  spoil  it  for  you;  I  want  the  wonder  of  it 
just  to  sink  into  you  without  the  disillusionising  influence 
of  the  guide-book." 

"But  I  wouldn't  consider  you  a  guide-book,"  she  pro- 
tested. "You  could  be  as  poetical  as  you  pleased." 

"Let  me  feed  you  with  fancy  and  legend,  then,  rather 
than  facts  and  figures  and  I  don't  mind,"  he  bargained. 

"Fancy,  by  all  means,"  she  agreed;  "but  of  legend,  I 
thought  that  in  this  new  country  there  was  none.  How 
can  you  have  legend  in  a  howling  wilderness  ?  In  Canada, 
you  have  the  charm  of  the  new  and  the  unknown,  as  you 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  197 

were  saying  last  night;  but  of  folklore  and  historic  asso- 
ciation— all  the  pot-pourri  of  human  strifes  and  loves 
and  sorrows  accumulated  through  the  centuries — you  have 
nothing.  In  my  country,  for  instance,  the  borderland  of 
Scotland,  there  is  not  a  mile  but  is  famous  for  some  bat- 
tle, or  foray,  or  some  noted  person,  dead  and  gone." 

"Very  true,"  said  Keith;  "and  you  owe  it  largely  to 
your  Walter  Scott,  who  had  the  foresight  to  preserve  the 
old  ballads  and  tales  before  they  were  forgotten.  You  for- 
get that  this  country  has  had  its  people,  albeit  scanty 
enough  in  numbers,  and  they  had  their  loves  and  strifes, 
too." 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course,  there  were  the  Indians,"  said  Har- 
jorie  a  trifle  contemptuously;  "but  I  don't  suppose  that 
you  have  much  in  the  way  of  legend  from  them.  I  always 
understood  that  in  the  West  they  are  so  much  inferior  to 
the  Eastern  tribes." 

"That  might  be  to  a  certain  extent.  It  is  to  a  daughter 
of  one  of  these  Eastern  tribes  that  we  owe  the  preserva- 
tion of  our  legends  here — I  mean  Pauline  Johnson." 

"I  have  heard  her  spoken  of  as  an  Indian  poetess  but 
that  is  all  I  know  of  her." 

"Well,  she  had  done  for  us  here  what  Walter  Scott  did 
for  the  Borders,  and  we  owe  her  our  eternal  gratitude. 
One  of  the  legends  she  preserved  centres  about  this  very 
spot  on  which  we  stand." 

%He  saw  she  was  interested  and  so  he  went  on  to  relate 
it. 

"One  of  the  vices  that  was  unknown  to  the  Indian 
before  he  was  contaminated  by  the  advent  of  the  white 
man  was  that  of  avarice,  she  tells  us.  In  the  first  gold 
rush,  many  of  the  Indians  went  as  guides  with  the  miners 
and  one  came  back,  whose  heart  had  been  tainted  with! 
the  white  man's  passion,  the  lust  for  riches.  He  was  mi- 


198  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

serly,  selfish  and  cruel,  and  the  Sagalie  Tyee,  the  Indians' 
god,  turned  him  into  a  two-headed  sea-serpent.  One  head 
of  it  rested  here  on  this  very  bluff  and  the  other  away 
across  there  on  the  shore  below  the  Indian  Mission, 
that  row  of  little  white  houses  with  the  church  in  the 
centre.  Typifying  greed,  it  lay  helpless  and  inert,  block- 
ing and  befouling  the  whole  Inlet. 

"Now  the  Sagalie  Tyee  had  ordained  that  whoever  could 
pierce  the  monster's  heart  would  conquer  the  disease  of 
greed  among  the  people.  The  great  chiefs  and  the  medi- 
cine men  had  done  their  best  to  banish  the  scourge  but 
without  avail.  At  last,  a  boy  of  sixteen  who  was  noted 
for  his  bravery  and  unselfishness,  essayed  the  task  of  pierc- 
ing the  monster's  heart.  Four  days  he  swam  around 
searching  to  find  the  vital  part  and  none  of  his  people 
saw  him;  but  on  the  fifth,  he  was  observed,  just  at  day- 
break, on  this  very  bluff  stretching  his  young  arms  out  to 
greet  the  sun  before  diving  headlong  into  the  sea.  This 
was  repeated  every  morning  for  four  years  before  he  was 
able  to  find  and  pierce  the  monster's  heart. 

"What  an  interesting  story,"  said  Marjorie  when  he 
had  finished.  "It  reminds  one  somewhat  of  the  monster 
Grendel  in  the  Old  Anglo-Saxon  epic,  the  'Beowulf.'  And 
are  there  any  more  beautiful  tales  like  that  ?"  she  asked. 

"Did  you  see  that  little  island  on  the  right  we  have 
just  passed?"  he  said.  "The  Indians  call  it  'The  Island 
of  Dead  Men,'  though  some  have  called  it  'The  Isle  of 
Dreams.'  Pauline  Johnson  tells  us  that  it  has  always  been 
a  place  of  strife,  and  battles  innumerable  have  been  waged 
about  it.  It  takes  its  name  from  one  great  conflict,  how- 
ever, in  which  we  are  told  the  men  of  the  south  man- 
aged to  capture  all  the  wives  and  children  and  old  men 
of  the  northern  tribes  when  the  braves  were  away.  TJiese 
they  threatened  to  kill  unless  the  same  number  of  young 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  199 

"braves  would  give  themselves  up.  It  was  a  great  act  of 
sacrifice  but  it  was  done ;  and  two  hundred  of  their  finest 
warriors  cheerfully  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  loved 
ones.  The  legend  relates,  however,  that  the  morning  after 
they  had  been  slaughtered,  their  enemies  found  the  spot 
on  which  they  had  died  covered  with  flaming  fire-flowers,, 
and  they  were  so  terrified  that  they  fled  from  the  island 
and  left  the  coast  never  to  return."  4 

''Why,  it  is  as  fine  as  some  of  the  old  Greek  tales,  is  it 
not  ?  No  wonder  you  feel  grateful  to  Pauline  Johnson," 
said  Marjorie  as  they  rode  on  again. 

"I  wonder  how  you  are  enjoying  your  office  as  deputy 
policeman,"  she  remarked  with  a  mischievous  smile  as 
they  breathed  the  horses  after  a  mile  or  so  of  hard  gallop- 
ing. "Suppose  that  I  were  to  try  to  run  away  from  you 
now,  wouldn't  it  be  a  fine  sensation  for  any  one  that  saw 
us." 

"I  am  enjoying  it  thoroughly,"  said  Keith ;  "so  I  hope 
you  won't  try  to  run  away.  I  hope  that  I'm  not  obnox- 
ious enough  to  drive  you  to  such  a  desperate  alternative." 

"One  never  can  tell,"  and  she  shook  her  head  with  a 
touch  of  seriousness.  "It  would  not  be  the  first  time  that 
I  had  run  away,  you  know." 

"So  appearances  would  indicate,"  Keith  remarked  with 
as  matter-of-fact  an  air  as  he  could  assume.  He  was 
aware  that  he  was  on  delicate  ground  and  it  behooved  him 
to  walk  carefully.  He  felt,  rather  than  saw,  that  she 
glanced  at  him  quickly  but  he  kept  his  eyes  resolutely  on 
the  scenery  ahead  of  him. 

"What  appearances,  for  instance?"  she  asked  with  a 
touch  of  hauteur. 

Keith  laughed  and  straightened  out  a  stray  strand  of 
his  horse's  mane  before  replying. 

"When  Cinderella  becomes  herself  the  fairy  godmother, 


20O  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

and  carries  a  king's  ransom  in  her  handbag,  it  is  a  sure 
sign  that  she  is  not  what  she  seems;  and  if  one  has  not 
run  away,  why  should  one  hide  who  are  one's  relatives. 
It  is  true  that  relatives  are  often  a  trial  and  a  cross;  but 
they  are  not  to  be  altogether  cast  off  except  for  the 
weightiest  reasons." 

".But  I  might  not  have  any  relatives,"  she  protested. 

He  shook  his  head  and  turned  himself  sideways  in 
the  saddle  so  as  to  enjoy  a  look  at  her.  She  turned  her 
eyes  to  face  him  but  they  fell  under  his  admiring  gaze  and 
a  rich  colour  crept  into  her  cheeks. 

"People,  as  charming  as  you,  are  bound  to  have  rela- 
tives," he  asserted.  "If  Providence  had  started  them  out 
without  any,  they  could  never  get  through  their  teens 
without  being  adopted." 

"You  have  never  had  the  curiosity  to  ask  who  mine  were 
then,"  she  remarked  with  a  faint  note  of  reproach  in  her 
voice  and  still  her  eyes  were  turned  down  on  the  pony's 
mane. 

"When  one  is  a  daughter  of  the  stars,  one's  earthly 
relatives  are  of  small  consequence,"  he  replied.  "You  are 
remote  enough  from  me  now  with  such  heavenly  con- 
nections; and  why  should  I  court  further  discouragement 
by  risking  the  discovery  of  more  aristocratic  ones  on 
earth  ?" 

"Have  you  no  qualms  about  your  two  thousand  dollars, 
at  least?"  she  questioned;  and  he  had  her  eyes  for  a 
moment. 

"If  you  were  to  run  away  from  me,"  he  averred  and  his 
heart  thumped  against  his  ribs  in  a  manner  that  as- 
tonished him ;  "it  would  not  be  the  money  that  would  cause 
me  the  greatest  grief." 

"What  would  it  be  then  ?"  she  asked ;  and  her  long  lashes 
still  swept  her  cheek. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  201 

"Why,  the  loss  of  my  prisoner,  of  course,  and  of  my 
job,"  he  said.  "I  only  wish  it  were  a  permanent  one,"  he 
added  fervently. 

"Your  friend  has  not  arrived  yet  ?"  she  asked  changing 
the  subject  with  a  disconcerting  suddenness. 

Keith  gasped  inwardly  but  outwardly  he  maintained  his 
composure. 

"No"  he  said ;  "there  are  no  signs  of  her.  She  should 
have  been  here  last  night;  but  she  is  with  friends  and  I 
suppose  has  to  be  guided  by  their  wishes.  However,  I  am 
not  in  any  hurry  to  see  her." 

Two  motors  shrieking  with  their  sirens  came  up  behind 
them  and  Keith  had  to  rein  his  horse  to  the  rear ;  so  the 
subject  was  allowed  to  drop.  They  had  just  reached  the 
top  of  the  long  hill  going  up  to  Observation  Point  and  as 
they  rode  up  on  the  crest  and  looked  over  the  bluff,  Mar- 
jorie  could  not  repress  a  cry  of  admiration. 

They  were  looking  out  over  English  Bay  from  a  height 
of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  water.  Across 
the  mouth  of  the  Narrows  lay  the  little  suburbs  of  Holly- 
burn  and  Dundarave,  the  houses  and  the  tents  along  the 
shore  standing  out  clear  in  the  afternoon  sunlight. 

"This  has  been  called  the  Sunset  Doorway  of  the 
Dominion,"  said  Keith.  "I  have  seen  the  Golden  Gate 
at  San  Francisco  and  it  is  no  more  beautiful.  The  best 
time  to  come  here  though  is  in  the  early  morning  or  just 
at  sunset.  In  the  morning  everything  is  so  fresh  and 
clear;  and  in  the  evening,  the  tints  on  the  sea  and  the 
mountains  are  so  beautiful  and  there  is  usually  a  restful 
hush  upon  the  whole  scene." 

"How  clearly  one  hears  the  dash  of  the  waves  on  the 
rocks  below,"  said  Marjorie  after  a  space  of  speechless 
gazing  at  the  scene  before  them. 

They  tied  the  horses  to  the  rustic  fence  and  climbed 


2O2  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

down,  a  rough  path  past  the  quaint  cottage,  where  the  watch- 
man lives,  until  they  were  halfway  down  the  pine-covered 
promontory  that  guards  the  Narrows.  Just  as  they  got 
there,  a  large  steamer  with  lines  like  a  yacht  swept  majes- 
tically out  beneath  them ;  and  they  could  hear  the  engine 
bell  ringing  as,  having  passed  the  Narrows  safely,  the 
signal  was  given  for  full  speed. 

"That  is  the  'Empress  of  Japan'  on  her  way  to  the 
Orient,"  said  Keith.  "She  looks  small  when  you  get 
above  her  like  this;  but  she  is  big  enough  when  you  are 
aboard  of  her." 

They  climbed  up  again,  and,  having  mounted,  rode  on. 
Soon  they  met  a  merry  company  of  school-girls  on  horse- 
back with  their  riding-master  making  the  air  glad  with 
their  fresh  young  voices  ringing  out  above  the  clatter  of 
hoofs  as  they  trotted  gaily  along.  The  road  had  again 
left  the  shore  and  cut  in  through  the  woods,  their  beautiful 
greens  varied  with  the  white  of  the  wild  cherry  and  the 
dogwood  and  the  pink  of  the  salmon-berry.  They  passed 
the  huge  hollow  stump  with  the  little  rustic  hut  behind 
it  and  the  photographer  in  waiting,  where  so  many  princes 
and  other  famous  people,  that  have  visited  the  Park,  have- 
been  photographed. 

"The  wildness  makes  the  greatest  part  of  its  charm, 
doesn't  it  ?"  said  Marjorie,  pointing  to  the  underbrush  so 
thick  as  to  be  almost  impenetrable. 

"Just  a  bit  of  the  'forest  primeval,'  but  made  accessible 
by  roads,"  said  Keith;  "and  set  down  at  the  edge  of  a 
city.  There  are  places  that  have  never  been  penetrated, 
by  white  men,  at  least.  Some  years  ago  it  was  found  that 
a  trapper  had  been  plying  his  trade  all  unknown  to  the 
Park  keepers  for  months.  He  had  his  hut  and  his  bed 
and  was  making  a  fine  catch  of  furs  from  the  wild  ani- 
mals. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  203 

"The  Indians  have  a  legend,  which  Pauline  Johnson  re- 
lates, that  somewhere  in  one  of  the  deepest  recesses  of  the 
Park  there  is  an  evil  influence  that  brings  to  destruction 
any  one  that  comes  within  the  radius  of  its  power.  The 
poet  calls  it  the  Lure  of  Stanley  Park.  It  is  in  the  form 
of  a  white  stone  into  which  the  soul  of  a  witch-woman  who 
had  long  afflicted  the  people,  was  turned  by  the  Sagalie 
Tyee.  Whoever  wanders  within  its  evil  spell  is  doomed. 
His  will-power  is  broken  and  his  wits  forsake  him  so  that 
he  walks  in  a  circle  around  the  stone  and  is  never  able  to 
break  away.  The  Indians  believe  that,  even  after  death, 
your  soul  will  continue  to  circle  forever  and  that  you  are 
forever  prevented  from  going  to  the  Happy  Hunting 
Grounds." 

"What  a  gruesome  legend !"  said  Marjorie.  "It  reminds 
one  of  the  stories  that  are  told  of  the  man-catching  trees 
in  Borneo.  And  do  the  Indians  still  believe  in  this  evil 
spirit  ?"  she  asked. 

"According  to  Pauline  Johnson,"  Keith  replied,  "they 
cannot  be  got  to  enter  those  parts  of  the  Park  where  the 
Lure  is  supposed  to  be  hidden  for  fear  of  the  dreadful 
consequences.  However,  the  legend  has  a  more  pleasing 
side  to  it  for  we  are  told  that  when  the  'Four  Men'  who 
carry  out  the  decrees  of  the  Sagalie  Tyee  had  transformed 
the  witch-woman  into  the  stone,  they  felt  the  necessity  of 
something  that  would  counteract  her  evil  influence.  So, 
they  took  several  of  the  most  generous  and  merciful  of  all 
the  men  in  the  country  and  changed  them  into  trees  which 
they  placed  not  far  from  the  resting-place  of  the  stone. 
These  are  known  as  the  Cathedral  Trees.  To-morrow,  per- 
haps, we  can  pay  them  a  visit;  but  I  suppose  you  would 
not  want  to  hunt  for  the  Lure." 

"Hardly,  I  think,"  she  replied  with  a  faint  shudder. 


2O4  THe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"There  are  enough  lures  around  without  hunting  for 
them." 

"Now  we  come  to  the  grave  of  Pauline  Johnson/'  and 
Keith  drew  rein  as  they  came  to  a  road  leading  down  to 
the  right.  Just  at  the  fork,  there  was  a  break  in  the 
underwoods  and  within  was  a  rustic  enclosure  with  a  large 
stone  inside  of  it.  Some  one  had  recently  placed  a  bouquet 
of  flowers  upon  it. 

"Oh,  she  was  buried  here  then  ?"  said  Harjorie. 

"Yes,  according  to  her  own  wish,"  he  replied.  "Siwash 
Rock  is  not  far  away.  You  can  read  the  story  about  it  in 
the  'Legends.'  " 

"What  a  fitting  thing  it  seems  that  she  should  lie  here 
in  this  lovely  spot  in  the  Park  that  she  must  have  loved 
so  much.  Just  as  beautifully  fitting  as  that  Stevenson 
should  be  laid  by  his  faithful  islanders  on  the  lonely  moun- 
tain-top in  Samoa." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Keith  musingly;  "even  in  what 
is  so  often  called  a  materialistic  age,  such  graves  mean 
much  to  the  world." 

They  had  dismounted  and  led  their  horses  across  the 
foot  walk  and  through  a  narrow  path  to  a  little  rustic 
summer-house  set  on  the  bluff  that  is  known  as  Ferguson's 
Point  where  one  can  see  Siwash  Rock  to  the  right.  It  is  a 
charmingly  secluded  spot,  sheltered  by  thick  hedges  around 
it  on  the  cliff  edge  and  a  clump  of  alders  behind ;  and  one 
can  gaze  out  seaward  and  hear  the  sough  of  the  winds  and 
the  washing  of  the  spray  down  below.  Here,  too,  one  gets 
the  real  sharp,  salt  tang  of  the  sea.  The  horses  champed 
their  bits  and  nibbled  at  the  herbage,  with  alacrity ;  while 
their  riders  sat  down  on  the  rude  seat. 

"This  is  a  favourite  nook  of  mine,"  said  Keith,  "when- 
ever I  am  down  here.  One  can  sit  and  read  a  book  undis- 
turbed by  the  crowd." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  205 

"You  have  chosen  well,"  she  replied ;  "it  is  a  Paradise." 

"It  is  a  place  where  one  might  well  forget  the  world 
and  all  its  shams  and  hollownesses,"  he  went  on.  "You 
challenged  me  a  while  ago  to  ask  you  who  your  people 
were  and  why  you  left  them." 

"Hardly  challenged,  I  think;  but  I  did  think  that  you 
had  a  right  to  be  curious  as  to  the  story  of  my  life — as  they 
say  in  the  melodramas — since  your  pocket  was  so  deeply 
engaged.  However,  we  are  often  told  that  it  is  only  women 
who  are  curious." 

She  was  looking  out  to  sea  but  she  turned  to  smile  at 
him. 

"Well,  I  would  not  take  your  challenge  or  your  invita- 
tion," he  said,  and  there  was  a  curious  tightness  at  his 
throat,  "because  I  was  afraid  you  might  think  that  I  was 
prying  or  suspicious.  My  position,  at  present,  is  a  pecu- 
liar one  and  there  is  something  that  I  would  say  if  it 
were  not  that  I  feel  I  have  not  the  right  to  speak.  I  want 
you  to  remember  this  whatever  may  happen." 

His  heart  was  beating  fast  with  the  stress  of  his  emo- 
tion. He  felt  that  he  loved  her,  but  to  tell  her  now  in  the 
strange  role  that  fortune  had  given  him  to  play  towards 
her  would  be  to  take  advantage  of  her  extremity.  When 
she  returned  to  Portlake,  then  would  be  the  time,  but 
now  his  lips  were  sealed. 

"I  will  remember,"  she  said  seriously,  and  her  eyes 
would  not  meet  his.  She  rose  to  her  feet.  "But  we  must 
be  getting  on,  I  think,"  she  added  and  her  tone  seemed  to 
him  to  express  reproof.  Perhaps,  though — he  could  not 
be  sure — there  might  have  been  a  touch  of  something  else. 


CHAPTEK  XXVII 

Underneath  my  smiling  face, 

Bitter  heartaches  lie; 
She  1  love  has  left  the  place 

Nor  has  said  "good-bye": 
Other  bright  eyes  at  the  feast 

Linger  on  me  Jcindly; 
But  they  lure  me  not  the  least 

Since  I  love  her  blindly. 

ANON. 

IT  was  quarter  past  six  that  evening  when  Marjorie  and 
Keith  entered  the  dining  room  and  took  their  own  little 
table  at  the  far  end  of  the  room. 

Marjorie  had  had  a  good  rest  after  the  ride  and  was 
feeling  well  content  although  a  little  stiff  with  the  unac- 
customed exercise.  The  afternoon  had  proved  very  en- 
joyable and  most  of  the  unpleasantness  of  her  unfortu- 
nate predicament  as  a  suspect  had  passed  out  of  her  mind. 
It  was  only  a  question  of  a  day  or  two  more  until  the 
whole  thing  would  be  satisfactorily  cleared  up;  and  if 
the  days  passed  as  pleasantly  as  had  the  afternoon  and 
the  evening  before,  the  inconvenience  of  her  enforced 
stay  in  town  would  have  its  compensations. 

True,  she  felt  a  shade  of  uneasiness  as  to  the  propriety 
of  her  dining  in  public  with  a  young  man  whom  she  knew 
but  slightly  and  that,  not  once,  but  regularly;  but  she 
did  not  very  well  see  how  she  could  avoid  it  without  ap- 
parent ungraciousness  to  one  who  had  put  himself  at  some 
risk  to  do  her  a  service.  The  only  alternative  would  be 
to  take  her  meals  in  her  room;  and  to  do  this  she  felt 
would  only  add  additional  awkwardness  to  a  situation  that 

206 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  207 

difficult  enough  as  it  was.  The  manager,  Mr.  Graham, 
at  least,  was  cognisant  of  how  matters  stood  and  she  was, 
in  a  measure,  under  his  protection.  The  sensible  course, 
she  felt,  was  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  to  be 
thankful  that  it  was  not  London,  and  that  there  was  no- 
body around  who  knew  her,  to  care  what  she  did.  She  felt 
that  she  had  good  reason  to  be  thankful  she  was  not  in 
gaol,  which  would  at  least  have  been  far  more  terrible  to 
her,  whether  or  not  it  would  have  been  more  dreadful  in 
the  eyes  of  Mrs.  Gruncly. 

Keith,  himself,  be  it  said,  had  not  been  without  some 
twinges  of  conscience  as  to  whether  he  had  a  right  to  run 
the  risk  of  compromising  the  girl  by  a  too  conspicuous  at- 
tendance upon  her.  However,  he  had  quickly  stifled  them. 
Had  she  expressed  any  reluctance  or  hesitation  on  the 
score  of  propriety,  he  would  have  acquiesced  without  a 
word;  but  her  non-appearance  at  breakfast,  he  had  felt, 
had  been  caused  by  a  little  misunderstanding  and  nothing 
more,  which  it  was  due  to  himself  to  put  right. 

He  was  in  love  with  her  and  that  was  sufficient  justifi- 
cation; but,  even  were  that  wanting,  he  said  to  himself, 
was  she  not  in  a  way,  if  not  the  captive  of  his  bow  and 
spear,  at  least  the  hostage  for  his  good  money.  The  loss 
of  two  thousand  dollars  would  mean  serious  inconvenience 
to  him  at  this  time ;  and  he  had  no  right,  he  told  himself, 
to  take  any  chances.  Not  that  he  had  really  any  doubt 
as  to  the  safety  of  it;  but  anyway,  he  had  the  right  to 
take  precautions. 

There  was  a  delightful  piquancy  in  the  situation.  She 
was  wearing  the  same  gown  of  pink  that  she  had  worn  the 
night  before  but  around  her  neck  she  had  clasped  the  sun- 
burst of  diamonds  and  sapphires  which  she  had  offered  to 
the  pawnbrokers.  The  rich  jewels  showing  to  advantage 
against  her  white  throat  added  a  touch  of  splendour  to  her 


208  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

otherwise  simple  costume.  As  Keith  sat  opposite  her, 
captive  to  the  spell  of  her  charm,  watching  the  sparkle  of 
her  eyes  and  listening  to  the  soft,  liquid  accents  of  her 
voice,  he  hugged  himself  in  gratulation. 

"The  gods  have  been  good  to  you,  my  boy,"  he  was 
thinking;  "you're  in  luck  for  once.  Five  whole  days,  at 
least,  it  should  be  before  Inspector  Brown  can  get  his 
reply  from  the  East  and  it's  more  likely,  six  or  seven. 
Meantime,  though,  you're  muzzled.  You  mustn't  make 
love  to  her  until  this  thing  is  cleared  up;  it  wouldn't  be 
playing  the  game.  But  adorable  as  she  is,  how  you  are  to 
keep  from  it,  I  don't  know.  It  will  be  a  hard  job." 

"A  penny  for  your  thoughts,"  she  was  saying. 

"A  penny!"  he  exclaimed  in  scorn.  "They  are  worth 
untold  gold." 

"To  you,  maybe,"  she  said,  "but  not  to  me,  I  fear.  I 
doubt  you  rate  them  too  high,"  and  her  nose  was  tipped 
ever  so  slightly  in  the  air. 

"To  myself,  of  course,  I  meant,"  he  hastened  to  reply ; 
"and  I  would  never  sell  them.  But  thoughts,  like  happi- 
ness, are  not  the  less  enjoyed  for  being  shared.  To  bring 
them  to  concrete  form  and  make  them  presentable  for  in- 
spection,"— and  he  lowered  his  voice  to  a  confidential  tone 
— "I  was  thinking  that  to-night  we  can  get  down  to  Eng- 
lish Bay  in  good  time  for  the  best  of  the  sunset  and  after 
that  there  will  be  the  moon.  I  was  thinking,  may  it  please 
your  majesty,  of: 

'We  two  dreaming  the  dusk  away, 

Beneath  the  drift  of  a  twilight  grey — > 

Seneath  the  drowse  of  an  endvng  day 
And  the  curve  of  a  golden  moon.' 

"I  was  thinking,"  he  went  on,  "of  the  charming  picture 
that  a  certain  person  makes,  framed  in  the  bow  of  a 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  209 

canoe  with  the  sunset  glint  in  her  golden  hair,  the  sunset 
glow  on  her  cheek  kissed  by  the  evening  breeze.  This 
will  never  do,  though,"  he  reflected ;  "if  I  start  at  such  a 
pace  I  shall  never  be  able  to  stop." 

She  was  saved  from  answering  by  the  appearance  of 
the  waiter  with  the  soup.  At  the  same  moment  Keith's 
attention  was  drawn  to  a  party  of  four  that  had  just  en- 
tered and  were  being  ushered  by  the  head-waiter  down  the 
room.  A  stout,  elderly  lady  of  imposing  stature  led  the 
way,  followed  by  a  young  one  and  two  men  walking  side 
by  side  followed  in  their  wake.  In  the  young  lady,  he 
recognised  Patricia  Devereux. 

"Oh,  bother !"  he  exclaimed  in  a  voice  eloquent  of  dis- 
may. "There  is  my  friend  coming  in.  I  had  forgotten. 
They  told  me  at  the  office  that  the  train  was  expected;  it 
was  a  good  many  hours  late  because  of  slides  or  some- 
thing." 

Marjorie  followed  his  gaze  and  she,  too,  gave  a  start  of 
dismay ;  but  Keith,  absorbed  in  his  own  annoyance,  did  not 
notice  it.  The  party  had  been  placed  at  a  table  on  the  other 
side  of  the  room  just  opposite  them ;  and  Keith  saw  that 
as  soon  as  they  had  a  chance  to  look  round,  Patricia  was 
bound  to  see  him. 

"I  suppose  I  had  better  go  over  and  speak  to  them  for 
a  moment,"  he  said;  "if  you  will  excuse  me.  I  shall  not 
be  long." 

She  gave  her  assent  and  he  rose  and  went  over  to  the 
new-comers.  Patricia  gave  a  slight  exclamation  of  pleased 
surprise  when  she  saw  him  and  shook  hands,  smiling  up  at 
him  very  graciously.  She  was  one  who  never  lost  her  poise 
whatever  happened  as  Keith  had  often  had  occasion  to  re- 
mark. 

"This  is  my  friend,  Mr.  Leicester,  Lady  Angleside  and 
Lord  Angleside  and  Mr.  Trevelyan,"  she  said. 


2io  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"I  looked  for  you  yesterday,"  said  Keith  after  he  had 
made  his  acknowledgments. 

"Oh,  Lady  Angleside  was  not  very  well  in  Winnipeg 
and  we  waited  over,"  Patricia  explained ;  "I  should  have 
let  you  know  if  I  had  known  where  to  wire  you." 

"Yes,  I'm  sure,"  said  Lady  Angleside;  "she  was  most 
distressed  about  it  and  so  was  I.  But  what  could  one  do  ? 
You  see  these  trains  are  such  a  trial  and  I  felt  I  positively 
could  not  go  any  further  without  a  rest.  Perhaps,  if  you 
have  not  finished  your  meal,  the  waiter  would  set  a  chair 
for  you  with  us,"  she  suggested  graciously.  "I'm  sure  Miss 
Devereux  and  you  will  Have  a  great  deal  to  say  to  each 
other,"  and  she  smiled  with  some  meaning. 

"I  thank  you  very  much,  I'm  sure,"  stammered  Keith ; 
"but  the  fact  is,  I  am  dining  with  a  friend  to-night.  How- 
ever, no  doubt,  I  shall  see  you  later.  You  will  excuse 
me  for  the  present,"  and  with  a  bow  that  included  all  the 
party,  he  escaped  back  to  his  table  again,  only  to  find  that 
it  was  vacant  and  his  partner  of  a  moment  ago  had  dis- 
appeared. 

He  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes;  but  there  were  the 
same  two  plates  of  soup  almost  untasted.  The  waiter  was 
not  about,  so  there  was  no  information  to  be  got  from 
him.  For  a  moment  he  stood  confounded,  conscious  of  the 
eyes  of  Patricia  and  her  friends  boring  into  his  back.  Then 
he  sat  down.  He  was  relieved  by  the  approach  of  the 
head-waiter. 

"The  young  lady  told  me  to  tell  you  that  she  had  a  head- 
ache and  begged  that  you  would  excuse  her,  sir,"  he  said. 
"She  said  she  was  going  to  her  room." 

"Then,  perhaps,  you  would  be  good  enough  to  set  a 
chair  for  me  with  my  friends  over  there,"  said  Keith  rather 
bewildered  but  anxious  to  carry  the  matter  off  as  well  *u 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  211 

possible.    He  could  not  understand  Marjorie's  disappear- 
ance ;  but  he  might  as  well  make  the  best  of  it. 

"My  friend  has  gone  off,"  he  said,  returning  with  some 
feeling  of  embarrassment  to  Patricia  and  her  party ;  "and 
if  you  don't  mind  I  shall  be  glad  to  accept  your  invita- 
tion." He  thought  it  very  likely  that  they  would  not 
have  noticed  who  was  with  him  and  was  thankful  that 
"friend"  had  a  common  gender. 


CHAPTER 

Her  smile  no  longer  warms  Jiis   heart, 
Her  eyes  can  win   no  answering  glow: 

The  tongue  once  urged  a  lover's  part, 
Now  falters  painfully  and  slow. 

ANON. 

"You  are  looking  well,  Patricia,"  said  Keith,  as  they 
sat  in  the  lounge  room  after  dinner,  the  others  of  the  party 
having  retired,  Lady  Angleside  to  her  room  and  the  two 
men  to  take  a  stroll. 

Keith  was  in  no  frame  of  mind  to  enjoy  a  tete-a-tete 
with  his  former  fiancee  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  way  of 
avoiding  it.  There  were  times,  he  felt,  when  the  exigen- 
cies of  social  custom  become  maddening;  and  this  was 
certainly  one  of  them.  He  had  been  prepared  for  a  prob- 
able awkwardness  when  Patricia  appeared  but  for  nothing 
so  unpleasant  as  this.  What  could  have  caused  Marjorie 
to  act  as  she  had,  he  was  at  a  loss  to  guess ;  and  he  would 
have  given  anything  for  half  an  hour  of  quietness  with  his 
pipe  to  think  it  over.  Instead  he  had  to  make  himself 
agreeable  to  his  former  flame  and  his  heart  was  not  in 
the  task.  To  a  sensitive  man  it  could  hardly  be  free  from 
some  measure  of  embarrassment  and  restraint;  and  in 
Keith's  case,  the  preoccupation  of  his  mind  could  not  fail 
to  increase  this  feeling. 

"I  am  glad  you  do  not  find  me  much  changed,"  she 
said.  "You  are  looking  splendid,  and  the  touch  of  tan  is 
quite  becoming.  Do  you  do  much  work  yourself  or  do 
you  just  oversee?" 

212 


TThe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  213 

"I  am  afraid  that  I  do  most  of  it  myself,"  he  replied 
laughing.  "My  one  man  knows  as  much  if  not  more  about 
it  than  I  do,  so  we  just  work  side  by  side.  Bush-farming, 
I  am  afraid,  is  not  the  thing  for  a  gentleman  farmer." 

"I  should  so  much  like  to  see  your  place  and  the  kind 
of  life  you  lead  on  it.  I  suppose  you  have  somebody  to 
cook  for  you  ?" 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Dalrymple  looks  after  all  my  housekeeping 
arrangements  and  a  very  capable  soul  she  is.  We  get 
along  splendidly,"  he  replied. 

Patricia  at  the  ranch  was  a  contingency  that  had  never 
before  entered  his  head  and  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
answer  to  make  to  her  expression  of  a  desire  to  see  it.  The 
wish  might  be  a  mere  matter  of  politeness ;  or  it  might  have 
behind  it  the  desire  for  a  resumption  of  their  former  re- 
lationship. He  hastened  to  lead  the  conversation  into  a 
less  dangerous  channel. 

"You  are  fortunate  to  get  such  pleasant  travelling 
companions,"  he  continued.  "Did  they  just  come  out  to 
see  the  country?  You  said  in  your  letter  that  you  were 
going  through  to  Australia." 

She  looked  at  him  a  little  coldly  for  a  second,  as  if 
not  quite  pleased  at  the  change  in  the  conversation. 

"Yes,  they  are  nice  people,"  she  replied.  "They  are 
out  here  on  rather  a  peculiar  mission.  I  only  wish  that 
they  were  going  with  me  all  the  way.  It  will  seem  rather 
dreary  travelling  alone  after  being  with  them.  I  rather 
dread  the  long  voyage  to  Sydney  all  by  myself." 

"Oh,  but  there  are  always  plenty  of  pleasant  people 
travelling  on  those  boats,"  said  Keith  cheerfully ;  "and  you 
were  always  very  popular.  What  have  you  been  doing  with 
yourself  since  I  saw  you  last  ?" 

"The  same  old  round,  I  suppose.  London  in  the  season 
and  the  Highlands  in  the  summer  with  an  occasional  trip 


214  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

on  the  Continent.  I  can  afford  such  luxuries  now,  you  see. 
I  suppose  you  heard  about  my  good  fortune  ?" 

"No,"  said  Keith;  "what  was  that?" 

"Oh,  I  thought  that  you  had  heard.  My  Aunt  Honoria 
died  and  left  me  all  she  had — quite  a  large  sum  for  me.  It 
was  always  expected  it  would  go  to  my  cousin,  Jim  Eld- 
ridge;  but  it  appeared  that  he  had  been  rather  neglectful 
of  her  of  late — had  taken  too  much  for  granted — and  so 
she  cut  him  out  of  her  will  and  put  me  in  instead." 

"I  am  awfully  glad,"  said  Keith  heartily.  "It's  the 
best  news  I've  heard  for  a  long  time." 

"If  this  had  happened  three  years  ago,  it  might  have 
made  things  different  for  us,"  she  said  after  a  slight  pause. 
Her  eyes  were  turned  down  and  the  fingers  of  her  left 
hand  played  nervously  on  the  upholstered  arm  of  her 
chair.  There  were  two  rings  on  it  but  the  engagement 
finger  was  bare. 

"What  difference  would  that  have  made  ?"  asked  Keith. 
His  manner  was  cold  and  outwardly  he  was  calm ;  but  he 
could  not  help  feeling  nervous.  Any  going  back  upon 
their  old  relations  was  distasteful  to  him;  but  he  had 
hoped  that  she  would  have  the  good  taste  to  forbear  from 
it. 

"Why,  there  would  have  been  no  need  of  our  parting, 
would  there  ?"  she  said  in  a  tone  slightly  reproachful.  "I 
knew  that  I  was  not  cut  out  for  a  poor  man's  wif e ;  and  it 
was  as  much  for  your  sake  as  my  own  that  I  thought  we 
should  break  it  off  when  your  uncle  married  again.  I 
felt  I  was  being  cruel  only  to  be  kind;"  and  her  voice 
betrayed  a  tremor  that  Keith  remembered  from  of  old. 

"Do  not  let  us  go  back  on  it,"  he  said  with  some  con- 
straint, feeling  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  respond 
with  any  approach  to  the  old  tenderness.  "Why  should 
we  rake  up  the  past?  It  hit  me  pretty  hard  at  the 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  215 

time ;  but  I  have  become  quite  reconciled.  No  doubt,  you 
did  it  for  the  best,  and  I'm  sure  I  bear  no  malice.  As  we 
grow  older  we  look  upon  life  more  philosophically,  you 
know ;"  and  he  smiled  with  an  air  of  cheerfulness  although 
in  truth  his  feelings  were  gloomy  enough  as  he  thought 
of  the  way  he  had  planned  to  spend  the  evening. 

"Well,  I  am  glad  to  hear  it  I  am  sure,"  she  said ;  "for 
my  conscience  has  pricked  me,  J  must  confess,  on  your 
account.  It  is  a  relief  to  know  that  there  was  no  serious 
damage  done.  And  now,"  she  continued  in  a  different 
tone,  "I  shall  have  to  be  getting  ready  to  go  out  with  Mr. 
Trevelyan.  I  promised  to  go  with  him  in  half  an  hour 
to  see  the  town.  Poor  fellow,  he  has  had  rather  an  un- 
fortunate love  affair,  though  it  may  turn  out  all  right  yet." 

"He  did  not  appear  to  be  much  cast  down  at  dinner 
time,"  remarked  Keith  with  a  smile.  "Indeed  it  seemed 
to  me  that  you  and  he  must  have  been  hitting  it  off  very 
well  together." 

"He  was  engaged  to  his  father's  ward,  a  Miss  Col- 
quhoun,  who  was  very  wealthy  in  her  own  right,"  Patricia 
went  on,  ignoring  Keith's  little  thrust.  "They  were  brought 
up  together,  a  sort  of  boy  and  girl  attachment,  although 
they  say  that  all  the  ardour  was  on  his  side.  However,  the 
engagement  was  announced  and  a  date  set  for  the  wedding 
when  all  at  once,  she  disappeared.  She  left  a  note  saying 
that  she  was  going  and  that  they  need  not  look  for  her. 
This  was  several  months  ago.  At  first,  they  could  not 
find  any  trace  of  her  whereabouts  but,  at  last,  they  dis- 
covered that  she  had  come  out  here  and  was  staying  with 
her  old  nurse  near  a  place  called  Portlake.  It  must  be 
somewhere  near  you,  I  fancy." 

Keith's  thoughts  were  in  a  whirl  during  Patricia's 
revelation  but  he  managed  by  a  strong  effort  of  will  to 
conceal  his  emotion.  Here,  then,  was  the  solution  of  the 


216  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

mystery  and  the  explanation  of  Marjorie's  sudden  flight. 
His  heart  sank  as  he  realised  the  difference  that  it  would 
make  to  his  own  chances  with  her ;  but  he  had  no  time  to 
weigh  this  now.  Patricia  was  looking  at  him,  waiting 
for  a  reply. 

"Portlake,"  he  stammered,  "why — why,  yes,  that  ia 
quite  close  to  me." 

"Well,  how  strange !  Perhaps,  you  may  have  seen  her," 
said  Patricia  eagerly.  "Mrs.  Bolton  is  her  old  nurse's 
name." 

Just  at  this  moment  a  bell-boy  entered  the  room  and  in 
loud  tones  cried  out:  "Call  for  Mr.  Leicester,  please." 
Keith  could  have  fallen  on  his  neck  and  embraced  him. 
Excusing  himself  hastily  he  hurried  away,  leaving  Patricia 
with  her  curiosity  unsatisfied  and  somewhat  annoyed  at 
his  haste. 

"His  manners  have  not  improved,  Pm  afraid,"  she 
reflected,  with  a  curl  of  her  lip.  "Well,  at  least,  I  know 
how  I  stand  in  that  quarter  and  he  certainly  left  me  no 
room  for  doubt.  There  is  something  to  be  said  for  straight- 
forwardness after  all ;  and  Keith  was  never  one  to  say  other 
than  he  felt.  It  is  clear  that  he  wants  no  more  of  me." 

Keith  meanwhile  had  gone  to  the  telephone  booth. 

A  voice  with  a  rich,  Irish  brogue  came  over  the  line. 

"Is  that  Mr.  Leicester,  sir?  Well,  this  is  Mr.  Calla- 
ghan  speaking  to  you.  I  must  apologise  for  disturbing  you 
but  I  thought  maybe  you  wouldn't  mind.  You  see,  Miss 
Colquhoun  came  and  got  her  horse  about  half  an  hour  ago 
an'  said  she  was  to  stay  the  night  with  some  friends  and 
might  not  be  back  for  a  week  or  so.  She  said  would  I 
mind  her  taking  the  horse  before  she  had  paid  the  bal- 
ance due  on  it  as  she  would  let  me  have  it  soon. 

"Well,  sir,  you  see,  I  let  her  have  it  and  that  was  all 
right  and  I  told  the  boys  to  saddle  it  for  her.  But  it 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  217 

appears  that  as  she  was  riding  down  the  street,  she  met  one 
of  the  grooms  and  not  knowing  he  belonged  to  the  stable, 
she  asked  him  the  way  to  Portlake.  Well,  sir,  when  he 
told  me  that,  I  felt  a  bit  worried  as  I  wouldn't  like  to 
think  of  her  riding  all  that  way  to-night ;  for  it  would  be 
a  pretty  lonesome  road.  I  just  thought  that  maybe  you 
would  know  if  there  was  anybody  with  her  an'  if  it  would 
be  all  right." 

Keith's  heart  gave  a  leap.  So  she  had  fled  from  the 
hotel  and  was  on  her  way  back  to  Portlake  with  the  little 
horse. 

"She  must  have  been  badly  scared  to  have  broken  her 
parole,  too,"  he  reflected.  "Oh,  I  expect  that  it  is  all 
right,  Mr.  Callaghan,"  he  said,  "but  I  am  obliged  to  you 
for  letting  me  know.  Probably  she  didn't  realise  how  far 
it  is  up  there.  She  is  living  with  friends  and  I  know  she 
was  expecting  to  return  soon." 

There  was  no  use  in  letting  Callaghan  get  excited  about 
it,  he  thought. 

He  looked  at  his  watch  and  saw  that  it  was  half  past 
eight  which  meant  that  Marjorie  had  had  an  hour  and  a 
half  of  start  ahead  of  him.  Calling  the  boy,  he  tipped  him 
and  told  him  to  go  to  the  lounge  room  and  tell  Patricia 
that  he  had  been  called  on  very  important  business  and 
he  hoped  that  she  would  excuse  him.  Five  minutes  later, 
he  was  speeding  down  Hastings  Street  in  a  Packard  car 
and  the  chauffeur  had  instructions  that  he  was  to  make  all 
the  speed  possible  without  coming  to  grief. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

She's  slippit  awa'  frae  yon  high  tower 

An'  left  her  lad  behind: 
:O  could  I  but  win  my  ain  wee  bower 

An'  my  ain  auld  nurse  sae  kind! 

OLD  BALLAD. 

WHEN  Marjorie  saw  Lord  and  Lady  Angleside  and 
their  son  walking  down  the  dining  room  towards  her,  she 
almost  fainted  with  surprise  and  mortification.  That 
they  should  find  her  at  all  would  be  bad  enough  but  that 
they  should  find  her  staying  alone  in  a  hotel  and  dining 
in  the  company  of  a  young  man,  would  be  nothing  short 
of  a  catastrophe. 

Her  Aunt  Sophronia,  as  she  had  always  called  Lady 
Angleside  ever  since  as  a  girl  of  twelve  she  had  made 
her  home  with  them,  was  a  typical  example  of  the  British 
matron  in  her  strictness  with  regard  to  the  proprieties, 
and  the  girl  had  been  brought  up  with  the  most  rigid  re- 
spect for  them.  She  had  been  taught  that  the  tender  flower 
of  girlhood  was  a  hot-house  growth  that  would  inevitably 
wilt  if  once  withdrawn  from  the  protecting  shade  of  the 
chaperon ;  and  all  the  dreadf  ul  consequences  that  had  been 
carefully  pointed  out  to  her  in  times  past,  now  forced  them- 
selves upon  her  memory  at  the  sight  of  the  familiar  face. 

Lady  Angleside  had  always  tried  to  be  kind  but  had 
never  really  won  the  affections  of  the  girl.  She  was  a 
woman  of  a  worldly  nature  and  social  success  had  been  the 
end  and  aim  of  her  existence ;  but  her  efforts  to  inspire  her 

218 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  219 

husband's  ward  with  the  same  ideals  had  been  totally  un- 
availing. A  marriage  with  her  own  son  would  provide  the 
girl  with  a  title  and  at  the  same  time  would  be  a  satisfac- 
tory means  of  lifting  the  mortgages  with  which  the  Angle- 
side  estates  were  heavily  dipped.  The  young  couple  were 
brought  up  to  look  forward  to  this  as  their  manifest  des- 
tiny ;  and  as  they  were  both  fond  of  each  other  in  a  boy  and 
girl  fashion,  no  serious  opposition  had  ever  been  made  to  it 
until  the  time  drew  near  when  Lady  Angleside  thought 
that  it  ought  to  be  consummated. 

In  spite  of  the  girl's  refusal  to  consent,  she  had  the 
engagement  announced,  feeling  sure  that  by  this  heroic 
means  her  opposition  would  be  swept  away.  Marjorie, 
however,  still  remained  firm  and  refused  to  accept  con- 
gratulations or  to  acquiesce  in  her  aunt's  tour  de  force; 
and  she  was  punished  by  the  whole  family  sending  her  to 
Coventry.  The  father  and  son  being  under  Lady  Angle- 
side's  thumb,  had  to  join  in  the  petty  persecution ;  although 
to  tell  the  truth,  neither  of  them  did  it  with  any  degree  of 
willingness.  To  a  girl  of  Marjorie's  sensitive  nature,  the 
punishment  became  almost  unbearable  and,  fearing  the 
pressure  might  become  too  strong  for  her,  she  conceived 
the  idea  of  taking  refuge  with  Mrs.  Bolton,  with  the  re- 
sult we  have  seen. 

So,  it  was  no  wonder  that  as  soon  as  Keith  had  left 
her  to  cross  over  to  greet  his  friend,  and  she  saw  that 
there  was  a  chance  of  escape,  she  did  not  fail  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it.  To  find  that  his  friend  was  of  her  guar- 
dian's party  was  a  further  complication  to  add  to  her  per- 
plexity and  made  her  the  more  anxious  that  she  should 
not  be  discovered. 

When  she  had  reached  the  door,  she  luckily  thought  of 
sending  a  message  to  Keith  by  the  head-waiter  explaining 
her  absence ;  and  then  she  hastened  to  her  room.  Her  one 


220  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

idea  was  to  get  back  to  Portlake  and  Mrs.  Bolton.  To 
stay  in  the  hotel  was  impossible.  There  was  no  train 
that  she  could  take  so  late  in  the  day  and  the  only  way  that 
she  could  think  of  was  to  ride  the  horse  she  had  purchased 
for  Dick.  She  might  have  hired  a  motor  but  she  remem- 
bered Inspector  Brown;  and  she  feared  that  she  might  be 
arrested  if  seen  arranging  for  a  car.  She  did  not  know 
either  if  she  had  enough  money  to  pay  for  the  trip.  At 
the  stable  she  was  known  and  she  thought  that  she  could 
prevail  upon  Mr.  Callaghan's  good-nature  to  let  her  have 
the  horse  without  paying  what  was  due  on  it. 

With  regard  to  her  obligation  to  Keith  to  remain,  she 
felt  that  she  would  have  to  break  her  parole ;  but,  under  the 
circumstances  she  felt  that  he  would  not  have  held  her  to 
it.  It  was  not  likely  that  when  the  mistake  was  found  out, 
which  must  be  within  a  day  or  two  at  most,  his  money 
would  be  in  any  danger;  and  in  any  case,  as  her  twenty- 
first  birthday  was  close  at  hand  when  she  would  come  into 
her  inheritance,  she  would  have  ample  funds  from  which 
to  repay  him.  She  hated  to  give  him  reason  to  think  ill 
of  her;  but  she  felt  that  the  extremity  was  so  great  that 
she  must  take  the  risk.  How  she  was  to  escape  from  the 
hotel  without  being  seen  by  the  bell-boy  who  was  supposed 
to  keep  an  eye  upon  her  she  was  unable  to  see ;  but,  after 
weighing  the  pros  and  cons,  she  decided  to  risk  it  and 
take  the  chance  of  the  boy's  being  away  from  his  post. 
She  had  put  on  her  riding  costume  and  even  if  he  saw  her, 
he  might  think  that  she  was  just  going  for  a  ride  and  that 
it  was  not  worth  while  reporting  to  the  manager. 

So,  leaving  everything  except  her  watch  and  her  money 
— her  jewels  were  in  the  hotel  safe — she  slipped  down  the 
seven  flights  of  stairs  for  she  did  not  dare  to  take  the  ele- 
vator— and  passing  out  of  the  side  entrance  was  soon  in  the 
street  with  the  cool  air  fanning  her  heated  cheeks.  So 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  221 

far  as  she  could  see  there  was  no  boy  on  guard,  nor  did 
she  pass  one  at  all;  and  she  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief 
as  she  sped  down  the  street  to  catch  a  Pender  car  for  the 
Horse  Show  Building. 


CHAPTEE  XXX 

'Art  tJiou  gone  in  haste? 

I'll  not  forsake  fhee; 
Eunn'st  thou  ne'er  so  fast, 

I'll  o'ertake  thee. 

WILLIAM  ROWLEY. 

PUCE:  was  going  splendidly  and  with  every  mile  that 
sped  away  under  his  swift  little  feet,  Marjorie's  spirits 
were  rising.  She  had  passed  safely  through  the  streets  of 
the  city  with  their  noisy  trams,  their  shrieking  motors  and 
their  treacherous,  slippery  pavements;  and  though  her 
mount  had  snorted  and  shied  more  than  once,  he  had  con- 
fidence in  his  rider  and  the  firm  little  hand  on  his  mouth, 
so  he  had  allowed  himself  to  he  coaxed  past  terrible  groan- 
ing auto-trucks  loaded  with  ghastly  white  objects  that 
towered  above  him  and  grim  steamshovels  that  seemed  to 
lie  in  ambush,  thrusting  their  huge  black  probosces  threat- 
eningly into  the  sky  and  many  other,  to  him,  fearful  and 
wonderful'  objects. 

!N"ow  they  had  passed  all  these  alarms,  the  noise  and  the 
lights  and  the  people  and  were  out  on  the  clean  country 
road ;  and  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  perhaps  that  after 
the  fear  and  hurry  and  excitement  of  the  last  hour  or  so, 
the  girl  should  feel  a  deep  sense  of  relief  to  be  on  the  way 
home.  She  conjured  up  to  herself  her  little  bedroom  off 
the  kitchen  with  its  narrow  cot  bed  and  rude  dresser,  and 
hungered  for  its  homely  quiet  and  seclusion  with  a  deep 
longing.  In  the  last  two  days,  she  had  been  taught  how 
much  her  new  life  with  the  Boltons,  humble  and  unevent- 

222 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  223 

ful  as  it  was,  had  taken  hold  upon  her  heart.  There  was 
a  genuineness  and  a  depth  of  affection  in  this  humble 
family  that  she  had  never  known  in  her  guardian's  stately 
home;  and  it  was  filling  a  need  of  her  nature  that  had 
never  been  supplied  before. 

It  was  true  that  she  had  a  long  and  lonely  road  before 
her,  one  to  which  she  was  an  entire  stranger;  and  she 
knew  that  it  would  be  dark  ere  she  would  be  halfway  on 
her  journey;  but  even  the  knowledge  of  this  was  only  a 
slight  damper  on  her  exaltation.  Just  that  afternoon, 
she  had  asked  Keith  if  it  would  be  practicable  for  her 
to  ride  Puck  up  to  Portlake  herself  when  she  went  back; 
and  he  had  said  it  would  be  quite  easy.  The  distance  was 
not  too  great,  about  thirty  miles,  and  the  road  was  good 
nearly  all  the  way  and  not  hard  to  follow.  He  had  done 
it  himself  more  than  once;  and  had  found  it  well  worth 
while  for  the  scenery.  She  was  aware  that  what  might 
be  all  right  in  the  daytime  might  be  different  at  night ;  but 
she  felt  that  with  a  good  horse  under  her,  she  would  not  be 
nervous.  It  is  wonderful  the  courage  that  one  absorbs 
from  one's  steed  when  one  feels  it  throbbing  with  life  and 
mettle  beneath  one,  obedient  to  the  touch  of  the  hand  upon 
a  mouth  of  velvet.  What  tramp  or  thug  could  ever  lay 
hand  on  her  so  long  as  she  was  on  Puck's  back?  and 
mounted  highwaymen,  she  reflected,  had  passed  away  with 
the  middle  ages. 

Puck  soon  settled  down  to  business  and  trotted  along 
steadily  past  subdivision  sign  and  name-posts  of  streets 
on  the  fringe  of  the  forest  where  the  name  was  yet  all 
there  was  of  them ;  past  miles  of  lonely  fir  trees  with  an 
occasional  clearing  to  accommodate  a  house  or  shack ;  and 
the  sun  was  just  setting  gloriously  to  the  rear  as  they 
clattered  down  the  hill  over  the  planked  road  into  Barnet, 
with  its  lumber  mills  along  the  Inlet.  Its  fiery  glow  lit 


224  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

up  with  rosy  splendours  the  tall  pines  that  clothe  the 
slopes  along  which  the  road  switchbacks  up  and  down 
all  the  way  from  Barnet  to  Port  Moody  and  was  reflected 
in  the  water,  appearing  and  disappearing  coquettishly 
away  far  below.  Marjorie  had  motored  through  Switzer- 
land and  Spain ;  but  she  could  remember  nothing  that  was 
finer  than  this  combination  of  forest  and  firth,  transfig- 
ured as  it  was  by  the  sunset. 

»  'It  was  slow  travelling,  however,  as  the  hills  were  so 
steep  that  it  meant  a  walking  pace  both  up  and  down. 
Only  along  the  wooden  bridges  across  the  wide  canyons, 
Puck  trotted  swiftly,  his  hoofs  making  a  grand  clatter  that 
echoed  from  the  mountainside.  It  was  lonely,  too,  not  a 
house  or  a  creature  to  be  seen,  and  she  felt  thankful  that 
at  least,  the  daylight  was  still  with  her. 

The  road  as  it  enters  Port  Moody  comes  in  by  the 
back  of  an  oil  refinery ;  and  what  with  the  tanks  that  lined 
the  road  and  the  strange  gaspings  and  clankings  that  came 
from  the  machinery,  it  was  all  Marjorie  could  do  to  get 
her  horse  to  go  past.  The  road  was  steep  and  narrow  and 
there  was  little  room  to  swerve;  but  although  he  shied 
and  jibbed  and  generally  made  a  nuisance  of  himself,  she 
conquered  him  at  last. 

"Now,  you're  all  right,  stupid  pony,"  she  said  to  soothe 
him,  when  she  had  pulled  him  up  panting  and  trembling 
after  his  frightened,  headlong  rush  past  this  unknown  mon- 
ster that  lurked  by  the  roadside ;  "if  you  would  only  trust 
your  mistress  and  not  to  your  own  foolish  wits,  you  would 
be  all  right.  There  will  be  a  fine  feed  at  the  end  of  your 
journey,  if  you  only  knew  it,  and  a  kind  little  master  that 
will  pet  you  all  day  long  to-morrow." 

Port  Moody  lies  on  a  gentle  slope  with  a  steep,  wooded 
hill  at  the  back  of  it ;  and  as  she  rode  through  its  straggling 
streets,  she  enjoyed  the  cheerfulness  after  the  lonely  road 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  225 

she  had  left  behind  her.  Groups  of  children  played  about 
and  their  mothers  gossiped  around  their  doors.  Some 
stared  after  her  strangely  as  if  the  sight  of  an  equestrienne 
with  side-saddle  and  habit  was  a  strange  sight  to  them 
or  perhaps  it  was  the  lateness  of  the  hour  that  caused  their 
wonder. 

She  asked  a  workman  whom  she  met  carrying  a  spade 
and  dinner  bucket  how  to  find  her  way  and  he  too  seemed 
to  be  wondering  what  she  was  doing  so  late  upon  the  road. 
It  was  three  miles  or  so  to  Coquitlam,  he  told  her,  and 
the  going  was  good  most  of  the  way.  Some  of  it  had  been 
newly  rocked,  however,  and  would  be  hard  on  her  horse's 
feet. 

At  the  hotel  she  stopped  to  give  Puck  a  drink  which  he 
needed  badly  for  he  had  been  warm  and  was  thirsty;  but 
she  was  careful  not  to  let  him  have  too  much.  Soon  she 
was  out  again  on  the  highroad,  and  saw  with  regret  the 
last  house  vanishing  behind  her. 

However,  there  was  still  enough  light  to  see  by  and  it 
lasted  her  all  the  way  into  Coquitlam,  the  ambitious  little 
town  where  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  had  lately  in- 
stalled its  workshops.  A  city  of  magnificent  distances  it 
might  well  be  called,  for  it  stretches  out  sporadically  in 
all  directions  with  little  clumps  of  houses  or  business 
blocks  of  wooden  construction;  but  the  main  street  op- 
posite the  railway  station,  Marjorie  found  brightly  lighted 
and  stirring  with  a  good  deal  of  life.  | 

By  this  time  she  was  thinking  with  regret  of  the  plate 
of  soup  that  had  been  left  almost  untasted  at  the  hotel 
and  the  stimulus  of  the  excitement  having  passed,  she  was 
feeling  hungry  and  faint  indeed.  So,  she  stopped  at  a 
little  baker's  shop  and  dismounting  on  the  wooden  side- 
walk, in  front  of  it,  she  got  the  woman  in  charge  to  give 
her  a  glass  of  milk  and  some  buns.  She,  too,  seemed  as- 


226  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

tcnished  at  her  appearance  and  would  have  liked  to  find 
out  where  she  was  going;  hut  Marjorie,  mindful  of  Inspec- 
tor Brown,  had  no  will  to  satisfy  her  curiosity. 

It  was  necessary  to  carry  out  a  chair  from  which  to 
mount  again  and  there  was  some  excitement  caused  by 
Puck's  behaviour.  He  was  not  used  to  chairs  and  stren- 
uously objected  to  have  one  anywhere  near  him;  and  in 
his  whirling  and  turning  he  was  likely  to  have  attracted 
the  whole  population  of  the  place  around  himself  and  his 
mistress.  He  also  very  nearly  trod  on  her  foot  as  well. 

However,  it  was  not  long  before  a  man  came  to  her 
rescue  who  evidently  understood  how  to  help  a  lady  to 
mount  and  amid  some  jeering  remarks  from  a  group  of 
small  boys,  she  rode  off  feeling,  if  somewhat  flustered, 
yet  invigorated  and  refreshed  by  her  frugal  repast. 

The  west-bound  train  came  thundering  in  just  as  she 
was  crossing  the  bridge  over  the  Coquitlam,  and  she  had 
more  excitement  with  her  horse,  who  gave  her  all  she 
could  do  to  control  him;  and  for  a  moment  or  two  she 
was  inclined  to  sympathise  heartily  with  the  lady  who 
had  formerly  owned  him  but  who  lacked  "hands."  How- 
ever, she  got  control  of  him  before  he  could  carry  her 
over  the  bank,  and,  crossing  the  railroad  track  for  the 
second  time,  she  soon  left  the  village  in  her  rear.  A  large 
electric  advertising  sign  blazed  forth  on  the  south  and 
its  cheering  rays  and  the  numerous  lights  from  the  houses 
looked  alluring  to  her  as  she  faced  the  dreary  road  ahead ; 
but  she  put  aside  the  temptation  to  stay.  She  might 
have  stopped  at  the  hotel  but  she  was  timid  about  it,  not 
knowing  what  sort  of  place  it  might  be.  She  did  not  relish 
the  idea  of  presenting  herself  there  at  that  time  of  night 
all  alone  as  she  was. 

It  was  now  about  half-past  nine  and  although  the  twi- 
light had  passed  away,  the  moon,  while  somewhat  ob- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  227 

scured  by  a  bank  of  clouds  that  had  blown  up,  still 
gave  plenty  of  light  to  see  the  road  by.  The  Pitt  River  was 
only  a  mile  or  more  away  and  the  ground  was  low  and 
level  and  marshy  so  that  the  road  had  been  planked;  and 
it  made  a  smooth,  springy  footing  for  her  horse's  feet. 
At  first,  there  were  a  few  farmhouses;  but  these  were 
soon  passed  and  there  was  naught  on  either  side  but  marshy 
fields  bounded  by  a  deep  ditch.  She  could  see  not  far 
ahead,  however,  the  high  dykes  along  the  river  bank 
and  the  group  of  buildings  that  stand  near  the  bridge. 
She  remembered  seeing  those  from  the  car  window  and  she 
was  cheered  by  the  sight  of  them  ahead.  Truth  to  tell, 
she  was  beginning  to  feel  very  nervous  and  to  think  that 
she  had  been  foolhardy  to  attempt  to  ride  home  that 
night.  She  might  have  remained  hidden  in  her  room  and 
made  her  escape  in  the  morning  as,  if  Mr.  Leicester  did 
not  betray  her,  it  was  not  likely  that  her  guardian  would 
find  out  that  she  was  in  the  hotel.  True,  her  name  was 
on  the  register  but  it  was  not  likely  that  he  would  look 
there. 

Now  that  the  darkness  had  come  on,  she  found  herself 
oppressed  by  the  stillness  and  the  loneliness  of  her  sur- 
roundings ;  and  she  was  beginning  to  feel  stiff  and  saddle- 
sore  and  very  tired.  Puck,  too,  was  beginning  to  show 
signs  of  fag,  and  he  seemed  to  be  wondering  where  his 
mistress  could  be  going  so  late  at  night.  He,  too,  was 
soft  and  unused  to  such  a  long  journey  and  now  it  took 
some  urging  to  get  him  off  a  walk. 

However,  Marjorie  plodded  steadily  on.  She  felt  that 
if  she  was  once  across  the  Pitt  River  she  would  feel  that 
the  worst  half  of  her  journey  was  over.  She  seemed  to 
be  a  long  time  in  getting  to  it,  however.  These  level 
stretches  seem  short  to  the  eye  but  they  are  deceiving. 
An  occasional  bush  by  the  wayside  would  startle  her  by 


228  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

its  likeness  to  the  figure  of  a  man,  or  a  stray  cow  rising 
startled  from  its  bed  beside  the  ditch  would  set  her  heart 
to  beating  wildly. 

"You're  a  little  goose  to  allow  yourself  to  be  frightened 
this  way,"  she  would  say  to  reassure  herself ;  but  the  next 
time  something  arose  to  startle  her  it  was  just  the  same. 

Suddenly  as  she  was  riding  quietly  along,  without  a 
moment's  warning  the  saddle  turned  with  her;  and  she 
had  just  time  to  give  a  spring  that  landed  her  on  her 
hands  and  knees  on  the  grass  at  the  side  of  the  road  but 
luckily  clear  of  Puck's  hoofs. 

She  arose  unhurt  but  somewhat  shaken.  The  saddle 
had  fallen  and  the  pony,  realising  that  something  was 
wrong,  stood  still  glad  of  a  rest. 

Here  was  a  serious  mishap,  indeed.  She  examined  the 
saddle  and  found  that  the  strap  of  the  surcingle  had  broken 
off.  If  she  had  had  a  pocket-knife,  she  could  have  made  a 
hole  in  the  stump  as  there  was  still  enough  of  it  left 
to  have  fitted  into  the  buckle  but  there  was  no  hole.  The 
ionly  thing  to  do  was  to  walk  until  she  could  find  some 
one  that  would  mend  it  for  her.  So  she  threw  the  saddle 
on  Puck's  back  again  and  started  to  lead  him. 

She  had  not  gone  very  far  before  she  came  to  a  place 
where  the  road  takes  a  turn  to  the  right  just  before  the 
last  stretch  that  leads  down  to  the  river,  when  sud- 
denly three  figures  came  in  sight  round  the  corner.  As 
they  caught  sight  of  her,  two  of  them  jumped  quickly  to 
the  side  of  the  road  as  if  to  flee  into  the  fields  but  the 
third  stood  his  ground  and  quickly  arrested  his  compan- 
ions' flight. 

"Come  back  here,  you  fools,"  Marjorie  heard  him  call ; 
"it's  only  a  girl." 

He  came  boldly  on,  the  two  others  following  him  a 
pace  or  two  behind,  their  furtive  glances  to  left  and  right 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  229 

proclaiming  their  uneasiness.  Marjorie  would  have  passed 
on  as  she  was  alarmed  by  their  actions  and  the  disquiet- 
ing words  of  the  one  who  had  spoken;  but  the  latter 
halted  right  in  front  of  her  and  she  was  obliged  to  stop 
too. 

"What's  the  matter,  miss  ?"  he  said,  not  uncivilly.  "Have 
you  come  a  cropper  ?" 

He  was  a  tall,  powerfully-built  man  perhaps  about  thirty 
so  far  as  she  could  judge  in  the  darkness  and  as  he  spoke 
there  came  to  her  on  the  pure  night  air  the  faint  odour  of 
liquor. 

"My  surcingle  strap  broke,"  she  said,  seeing  that  there 
was  no  chance  of  avoiding  him  and  making  a  virtue  of 
necessity.  "If  you  have  a  penknife  perhaps  you  would 
mend  it  for  me.  All  that  it  needs  is  a  hole  to  be  bored  in 
the  strap." 

"Come  on,  Mike,"  said  one  of  the  other  two  who  was 
short  and  thick-set.  "This  ain't  no  time  to  be  sparkin'," 
and  he  glanced  nervously  around  as  he  spoke.  "Ain't  that 
right,  Jake?"  he  added  appealing  to  the  third  man  who 
stood  a  little  farther  off.  He,  too,  seemed  nervous  and 
stood  on  the  side  of  the  road,  his  legs  eloquent  of  irres- 
olution, evidently  anxious  to  be  gone  and  yet  not  wish- 
ing to  be  parted  from  his  companions.  When  he  spoke, 
his  voice  was  thick  and  it  was  plain  that  he  had  been  drink- 
ing heavily. 

"You  bet  it's  right,  Bill,"  he  replied  with  an  oath. 
"Mike  don't  care  a  bit  for  us.  We'd  ha'  been  at  Coquit- 
lam  by  this  time  if  I  had  had  my  way." 

"Just  stow  your  gab,  Jake,"  the  tall  man  said  angrily. 
"If  you'd  ha'  had  your  way  you  would  have  been  so 
full  of  booze,  you  wouldn't  be  able  to  stand  up  now. 
I'm  goin'  to  fix  the  lady's  saddle  for  her.  You  an'  Bill 
can  go  or  stay  as  you  will.  'Twon't  take  a  minute  any- 


230  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

way,"  and  he  took  a  knife  from  his  pocket  and  quickly 
pierced  a  hole  in  the  leather  and  tightened  up  the  saddle 
again. 

Marjorie,  meanwhile,  stood  looking  on,  her  heart  beating 
wildly  with  nervousness,  for  she  realised  the  evil  character 
of  the  men  with  whom  she  had  to  do.  What  partially 
reassured  her  was  that  the  two  of  them  at  least  were 
anxious  to  proceed  and  evidently  wanted  to  take  their 
companion  with  them. 

When  he  had  finished  his  task,  he  still  fingered  about 
the  strap  as  if  to  satisfy  himself  that  it  was  all  right ;  and 
.apparently  not  quite  satisfied,  he  drew  a  match  from  his 
vest  pocket  and  striking  it  on  his  trousers  held  it  to  the 
saddle.  Just  for  a  moment  he  held  it  there  and  then 
as  if  by  accident,  he  suddenly  thrust  it  up  towards  Mar- 
jorie's  face.  She  stepped  back  a  pace  in  alarm.  The  man's 
eyes  swept  her  features  for  a  moment  and  then  fell  to  the 
white  neck  below  and  the  sunburst  of  diamonds  and  sap- 
phires that  encircled  it  and  sparkled  in  the  gleam  of 
the  match.  Marjorie's  frightened  gaze  took  in  the  sud- 
den start  of  surprise  and  .she  saw  the  face,  fierce  and 
predatory  before,  grow  suddenly  more  so,  the  eyelids 
•contracting  queerly  as  covetousness  masked  the  heavy, 
coarse  features. 

"I'll  have  to  trouble  you  for  these  sparklers,  miss,"  he 
said,  advancing  the  pace  that  Marjorie  had  receded. 

In  times  of  sudden  terror,  impulse  takes  command  of 
reason ;  and  it  was  so  with  Marjorie.  As  the  man  moved 
towards  her,  with  the  quickness  of  a  startled  deer,  she 
darted  round  behind  Puck's  heels  closely  followed  by  the 
robber  who,  however,  received  a  kick  from  Puck  in  the 
passing  that  stretched  him  for  the  moment  on  the  ground, 
cursing  with  anger  and  pain.  This  gave  Marjorie  a 
chance  and  she  was  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  it. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  231 

There  was  a  hollow  stump  by  the  side  of  the  road  and  the 
moment  that  her  feet  touched  the  ground,  she  made  a 
dash  around  this  thinking  that  perhaps  she  might  be 
able  to  elude  her  pursuer.  The  stump,  however,  was 
one  of  these  monsters  so  plentiful  in  British  Columbia 
that  frequently  excite  the  wonder  of  the  stranger  from 
the  East  who  is  unused  to  the  enormous  forest  growths 
of  the  humid  western  slopes.  After  some  woodsman  had 
cut  down  the  tree  leaving  it  standing  twenty  feet  of  ugli- 
ness, a  sad  monument  of  mutilation,  it  had  remained  for 
years  and  years  defying  the  elements.  Then  some  road 
foreman  more  zealous  than  his  predecessors  had  come 
along  and  decided  to  put  an  end  to  it.  With  his  trusty 
henchman,  he  had  attacked  it,  had  dug  around  its  roots 
and  pierced  into  its  entrails;  had  rent  its  mighty  girth 
with  dynamite  and  lighted  a  fire  in  its  vitals,  all  at  great 
expenditure  of  public  monies;  and  then  had  left  it  to 
consume.  The  fire  for  a  time  had  blazed  away  merrily, 
eating  out  gradually  all  but  the  very  outer  shell  of  the 
great  stump  and  leaving  a  great  hole  down  in  its  centre 
many  feet  in  diameter  and  several  feet  deep.  Then  even 
it,  growing  tired  of  the  contest,  had  expired  and  left  the 
black,  skeleton-like  frame  still  braving  the  elements.  By 
this  time,  some  of  the  zeal  of  the  road-foreman  having 
waned  and  his  appropriation  diminished,  he  had  been 
content  to  leave  his  job  unfinished;  and  no  one  since  had 
ever  had  the  desire  to  tackle  the  old  stump  again.  One  of 
its  roots  now  tripped  up  Marjorie  and  she  stumbled  head- 
long into  the  black  cavity,  her  shoulder  cannoning  against 
its  rounded  interior,  which  served  mercifully  to  break  tjie 
violence  of  her  fall,  and  there  she  lay  still. 

How  long  she  lay  senseless  she  did  not  know — it  could 
only  have  been  a  few  moments;  but  the  first  thing  that 
broke  upon  her  consciousness,  faintly  and  as  if  at  a  great 


232  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

distance,  was  the  sound  of  a  voice  calling  to  her.  The 
accents,  somehow,  seemed  familiar  and  they  brought  with 
them  a  vague  sense  of  danger,  of  menace,  of  such  a  para- 
lysing terror  as  one  often  experiences  in  a  nightmare, 
chilling  the  blood  and  taking  away  the  power  of  speech. 
They  became  louder  and  more  insistent,  sounding  now 
clearly  above  the  strange  drumming  in  her  ears  and  the 
suffocating  throbbing  of  her  pulses.  She  opened  her 
eyes  to  encounter  something  blue  and  luminous  of  an  ob- 
long shape  which  she  soon  recognised  to  be  the  sky. 

"Come  out  of  there,  will  you,"  the  voice  cried  harsh 
and  strident.  "We  see  you  all  right  and  it's  no  use  your 
hiding,"  and  there  followed  a  string  of  oaths  and  threats 
most  of  which  to  Marjorie  was  quite  unintelligible. 

"It's  no  use,  Mike,"  said  another  voice;  "she  ain't  in 
there.  She  must  be  out  in  the  field  somewhere.  I 
ain't  goin'  to  wait  no  longer." 

"I  tell  you  she  must  be  in  there.  There's  no  place  else 
she  could  be.  I  was  right  after  her,  wasn't  I  ?  I'd  ha'  had 
her,  too,  if  that  brute  hadn't  kicked  me,"  and  he  swore 
again. 

"Why  don't  you  go  in  after  her  then,"  the  other  jeered. 
"I  guess  you're  scared,  ain't  you  ?  If  she's  in  there,  why 
don't  you  fetch  'er  out  'stead  of  standin'  there  hollerin' 
your  head  off.  'Tain't  so  deep  but  what  you  can  easy 
get  out  again  if  you  ain't  scared  of  her,"  and  he  laughed 
tauntingly. 

"Scared  of  nothin',"  replied  the  other,  who  was  still 
feeling  his  injured  leg  rather  anxiously.  "I'll  go  in  in 
half  a  minute  if  she  doesn't  come  out.  D'ye  hear,"  and 
Marjorie  could  see  his  round  head  in  silhouette  as  he 
peered  into  the  hole.  It  was  hard  for  her  to  realise  that 
although  he  seemed  to  be  looking  right  down  upon  her 
almost,  yet  lying  in  the  dark  shadows  she  was  quite  in- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  233 

visible  to  him.  She  was  now  conscious  and  the  events  of 
the  last  few  minutes  had  all  come  back  to  her  and  she 
realised  that  she  must  have  fallen  somehow  into  the 
interior  of  the  stump  that  she  had  tried  to  get  around.  As 
the  real  truth  of  the  situation  came  to  her  the  indefinite 
terror  of  her  first  awakening  was  transformed  into  one 
that  was  actual  and  imminent.  She  could  plainly  hear 
every  word  that  was  spoken,  for  in  reality  the  men 
were  only  a  few  feet  away. 

"Hist,"  said  one  of  them.  "There's  Jake  shoutin'  some- 
thin'." 

"Better  lie  low,  you  chaps,"  she  heard  the  voice  from 
the  other  side  of  the  road.  "Here  comes  a  cove  on  a 
horse  flyin'  like  mad  too." 

Then  there  was  the  sound  of  fast  galloping  hoofs 
which  ceased  suddenly  as  the  horse  came  near  and  was 
pulled  up  on  its  haunches,  its  feet  thundering  loudly  on 
the  hard  planked  road,  as  it  pranced  around  excitedly. 
Then  a  voice  the  keen  incisive  tones  of  which  were  familiar 
to  her  rang  out  distinctly.  It  was  Keith's. 

"Halloa,  there !  Hope  I  didn't  startle  you.  I  wanted  to 
ask  if  you  had  met  a  young  lady  on  horseback.  I  am 
trying  to  overtake  her." 

"Young  lady?"  was  the  hiccoughing  reply.  "No,  I 
hain't  seen  no  young  ladies,  hie ;  hain't  seen  no  one." 

Marjorie  tried  to  cry  out.  Hope  had  surged  into  her 
heart  at  the  well-known  voice;  but  to  her  dismay  she 
found  she  was  unable  to  utter  a  word.  Her  tongue  seemed 
to  be  paralysed  and  all  she  could  do  was  to  lie  still  and 
listen.  Her  brain  was  now  perfectly  clear;  and  when 
she  heard  the  horse's  footsteps  again  as  it  moved  on  at  a 
gallop,  she  realised  that  Keith  had  naturally  taken  the 
man's  words  for  true  and  ridden  on  and  she  was  aban- 
doned. She  felt  that  she  was  willing  enough  to  let 


234  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

the  man  have  her  jewels  but  go  forth  to  him  she  dared 
not.  Her  one  hope  was  that  he  would  go  away  without 
looking  farther  for  her.  Despair  seized  hold  of  her  and 
she  same  nigh  swooning  again  with  the  sudden  revulsion 
of  feeling. 

But  the  voices  above  her  began  again  and  by  a  strong 
effort  of  will  she  forced  herself  to  concentrate  her  mind 
on  what  they  were  saying. 

"Mike,  will  you  see  now  what  a  devil  of  a  mess  you've 
got  us  into?  Strikes  me  we'd  better  git  when  the  goin's 
good.  That  cove  there's  liable  to  raise  hell  when  he 
can't  find  the  girl;  an'  if  we  get  caught  it's  the  pen  for 
us,  sure  thing." 

"Who's  scared  now,"  the  other  mocked.  "Who's  goin7 
to  know  we  did  it?  Anyway  ^I'm  goin'  to  have  these 
sparklers  if  I  stay  here  all  night.  The  other  job  didn't 
pan  out  well  and  here's  our  chance  to  make  up  for  it. 
If  we're  caught  it  won't  make  much  difference;  we'd  get 
the  pen  anyway  for  the  other." 

"The  cove  may  come  back." 

"Let  'im  come.  We'll  fix  him  if  he  does.  Are  you 
coming  out  or  shall  I  come  down  and  get  you  ?"  he  shouted 
again  over  the  brink  of  the  hole.  "Better  come  out  and 
hand  over  that  necklace.  I've  got  to  have  it,  I  tell  you, 
and  I  can't  stay  here  all  night ;"  and  he  swore  again,  his 
voice  thick  with  fury. 

The  third  man,  Jake,  had  evidently  come  over  and 
joined  them  and  his  voice  was  now  joined  to  the  col- 
loquy. 

"Didn't  I  fool  the  chap  fine  though?"  he  crowed  in 
drunken  glee.  "  'I  hain't  seen  no  young  ladies,'  says  I ; 
an'  off  'e  goes  without  another  word." 

"Aye,  but  if  he  comes  back,  I'm  thinkin'  you'll  laugh 
on  the  other  side  ov  yer  face.  This  country  ain't  like 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  235 

Washington  or  Oregon,  I'm  telling  you.  They  don't  lose 
no  time  when  they  cop  a  fellow  here  an'  a  smart  lawyer 
ain't  much  use  to  a  chap.  They're  mighty  free  with  the 
lash  too  for  highway  robbery.  There's  a  cove  I  know 
doin'  time  at  Westminster  now  who  got  twelve  with  the 
cat  when  he  went  in  an'  he's  got  another  two  dozen  comin' 
to  him  before  he  gets  out ;  an'  all  for  holdin'  up  a  Chink 
an'  takin'  fifty  cents  off  'im." 

"Stow  your  gab,  Bill;  you'll  scare  Jake  out  of  his 
senses  if  you  don't  shut  up." 

"Crickey,  I  didn't  think  about  'im  comin'  back,"  Jake's 
voice  was  heard  in  a  different  tone  from  before,  qua- 
very and  nervous.  "J  guess  that  I'll  be  goin'  on,  Mike; 
thash  booze  kind  of  strong,  you  know — hie.  So  good- 
night, boys;  little  Willie's  goin'  to  Seattle,  hie.  This 
lash  business  ain't  no  good  for  a  white  man." 

"I'm  goin'  with  Jake,  Mike.  He's  got  more  sense  than 
you  have  spite  of  all  the  whisky  Vs  got  aboard.  After 
that  job  up  the  river,  the  sooner  we're  across  the  line  the 
better.  I  ain't  hankerin'  after  free  board  an'  lodgin'  on 
this  side  at  all ;  an'  if  you  start " 

'rAw  come  on,  don't  be  a  quitter,  Bill;  there's  lots 
of  time  to  catch  the  Seattle  train  to-morrow  morning. 
That  mutt,  Jake'll  jist  get  drunk  at  the  Junction  an'  he'll 
be  anchored  there  for  two  or  three  days.  Better  stay  with 
me.  These  jewels  are  the  real  thing,  believe  me." 

"Nope,  I'm  goin'  along.  You're  altogether  too  reckless 
for  me.  Looks  a  bit  unhealthy  for  my  stomach.  After 
that  other  thing,  now's  the  time  to  lay  low  and  here  you 
are  startin'  more  trouble.  I  wish  you  well  out  of  it, 
that's  all." 

A  string  of  oaths  and  abuse  was  all  the  reply  to  tHis 
speech  and  then  there  was  silence  for  a  minute.  Mar- 
jorie's  heart  almost  stopped  beating  when  she  realised 


236  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

that  the  man  was  left  alone  and  she  felt  more  despairing 
than  ever. 

She  now  heard  the  rustling  of  paper  and  the  flare  of  a 
match  which  he  had  struck  lighted  up  his  face  clearly, 
flushed  and  bloated  as  it  was.  He  held  the  match  to  a  strip 
of  paper  he  held  in  his  left  hand. 

"Now,  miss ;  we'll  be  able  to  see  where  you  have  hidden 
yourself.  You  would  have  been  better  to  have  come 
out  in  the  first  place ;"  and  he  threw  the  flaring  strip  down 
into  the  hole,  kneeling  down  on  one  knee  as  he  did  so  the 
better  to  see  inside.  Right  beside  Marjorie  it  landed 
and  involuntarily  she  shrank  back  from  it,  trying  to 
escape  the  gaze  of  these  crafty  eyes  that  peered  down 
upon  her. 

"Ha,  I  see  you  now,"  their  owner  exclaimed  in  a  tone 
of  triumph  but  it  was  short-lived.  A  tall,  dark  figure 
had  stolen  up  behind  him.  Then  a  hand  was  laid  upon 
his  collar  and  another  on  his  throat  with  no  gentle  clasp; 
and  he  was  drawn  back  while  the  stranger  knelt  with  one 
knee  on  his  chest  and  pressed  him  rudely  to  the  ground. 
There  was  a  brief  struggle  in  which  the  man  underneath 
fought  with  the  energy  of  despair.  Although  taken  com- 
pletely by  surprise,  he  had  great  strength  and  he  was  per- 
fectly fresh;  while  Keith — for  the  new  comer  was  he — 
had  been  running  and  was  all  out  of  breath.  Frantically 
they  struggled,  in  silence  except  for  an  occasional  heavy 
gasp  from  one  or  the  other  that  bore  witness  to  the  strenu- 
ousness  of  the  conflict;  and  as  the  man  below  squirmed 
and  kicked  furiously  in  his  efforts  to  throw  off  Keith, 
all  at  once  he  succeeded  in  pushing  him  to  one  side  and 
they  both  rolled  over  the  brink  into  the  hole.  As  Keith 
felt  himself  going  over,  instinctively  he  let  go  of  his 
opponent  with  one  hand  and  grasped  a  piece  of  root  that 
offered  itself.  This  helped  him  to  stay  his  fall  and  en- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  237 

abled  him  to  come  down  on  top  of  his  enemy  who  landed 
heavily  on  his  back,  making  a  comparatively  soft  cushion 
for  Keith  to  alight  upon.  The  latter  lost  no  time  in 
again  getting  to  clutches  with  his  opponent;  but  he  soon 
found  that  it  was  unnecessary  as  he  seemed  to  have  been 
stunned  by  his  fall.  Keith  waited  for  a  few  moments  to 
see  if  he  might  possibly  be  shamming;  but  as  soon  as  he 
was  assured  that  he  was  not  he  turned  around  to  look 
for  Marjorie. 

"Are  you  there,  Marjorie — Miss  Colquhoun?"  he  said, 
breathless  from  the  struggle  and  his  voice  trembling  with 
apprehension.  All  sorts  of  terrible  possibilities  were  pass- 
ing through  his  mind;  and  the  uncanny  darkness  of  the 
place  where  he  found  himself  served  to  intensify  some- 
what his  feelings  of  horror  and  foreboding. 

"@h,  Mr.  Leicester,  is  that  you?  I  am  so  glad,"  said 
a  voice  just  at  his  ear  and  a  small  hand  reached  out  and 
softly  touched  his  shoulder.  "But  are  you  hurt  ?" 

She  had  heard  the  scuffle  above  her  and  had  been 
cheered  by  the  hope  that  it  meant  a  rescue  although  she 
could  not  be  sure  that  it  was  not  one  of  the  other  ruf- 
fians that  had  come  back  and  had  fallen  upon  his  com- 
rade. In  her  excitement,  she  found  she  was  able  to  sit  up 
and  she  was  actually  steeling  her  courage  to  make  an 
attempt  to  climb  out  of  the  hole,  when  to  her  terror  the 
two  fell  in  beside  her.  It  was  with  a  sob  of  delight  and 
relief  that  she  answered  Keith's  call. 

"Are  you  all  right  ?"  he  asked  eagerly,  not  heeding  her 
question. 

"I — I — think  so,"  she  replied  somewhat  doubtfully. 
"I  fell  in  here  and  I  suppose  I  was  a  bit  stunned  at  first. 
I  think  I  am  all  right  now;  if  I  could  just  get  out.  The 
man  wanted  to  rob  me  of  my  necklace  and  as  I  was  run- 
ning away,  I  fell  in  here." 


238  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Let  me  help  you,"  he  said,  putting  out  an  exploring 
arm — for  as  yet  he  could  distinguish  nothing  in  the  gloom 
— and  succeeding  in  making  prisoner  the  hand  that  had 
touched  him  and  pressing  for  a  moment  the  small  fingers 
with  a  warmth  that  he  felt  was  justified  by  the  circum- 
stances. There  was  an  answering  pressure,  too,  that 
thrilled  him  delightfully;  but  he  did  not  dare  to  tempt 
the  gods  by  taking  an  undue  advantage.  Rising  to  his 
feet  with  some  difficulty  and  stepping  from  astride  his 
prostrate  foe  with  care  to  avoid  stepping  on  him,  he  put 
his  arm  around  Marjorie's  waist  and  lifted  her  to  her 
feet.  For  a  moment,  her  hair  brushed  against  his  cheek 
and  its  faint  perfume  wafting  on  his  already  flustered 
senses  was  almost  too  much  for  all  the  good  resolutions 
that  he  had  been  formulating  all  the  way  up.  She  was  an 
heiress  and  therefore  clearly  not  for  him,  he  had  re- 
solved ;  yet  he  found  the  impulse  to  take  her  in  his  arms 
and  tell  her  that  he  loved  her  almost  irresistible.  However, 
just  at  the  psychological  moment,  a  diversion  occurred  that 
brought  him  back  to  a  sense  of  his  duty.  The  prostrate 
man  moaned. 

Keith  became  his  ordinary,  sane  self  again. 

"Let  me  jump  up  first  and  then  I  can  pull  you  out,"  he 
said.  "I  see  our  friend  here  is  beginning  to  come  to 
himself.  J  trust  that  he  is  not  so  badly  hurt  as  to  cheat 
him  out  of  the  punishment  he  deserves." 

Without  waiting  for  her  to  speak,  he  scrambled  out 
of  the  hole  and  taking  hold  of  her  hands  he  was  able  to 
lift  her  up  beside  him,  where  she  stood  trembling  a 
little  and  stiff  but  still  able  to  stand  with  his  arm  sup- 
porting her.  He  was  about  to  speak  when  they  heard  the 
sound  of  a  motor  coming  east  along  the  road  towards 
them. 

"I'd  better  stop  it,"  Keith  said  regretfully  after  a  few 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  239 

moments  of  consideration.  He  was  loath  to  bring  a  third 
party  in  to  interrupt  the  sweetness  of  this  hour  of  re- 
union, this  time  of  relief  and  expansion  when  the  fulness 
of  their  hearts  had  broken  down  the  constraints  of  con- 
ventionality. But  he  had  to  think  of  his  prisoner,  the 
injured  man  and  of  how  he  was  to  dispose  of  him.  So 
he  hailed  the  car  loudly  as  it  came  near;  and  it  quickly 
came  to  a  stop  opposite  them.  There  were  two  men  in 
the  front  seat. 

"Halloa,  what's  the  matter  here,  somebody  had  a  smash- 
up?"  said  the  one  who  was  driving.  "So  it's  you,  is  it, 
]Vlr.  Leicester?"  he  said  as  he  recognised  Keith,  "and 
the  girl  too,  by  George!"  he  added  as  his  glance  fell  on 
Marjorie.  "Bob,  I  guess  we  were  in  time  after  all." 

"You  come  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  Inspector  Brown," 
said  Keith  as  he  recognised  the  officer;  "but  I  am  sur- 
prised to  see  you  so  far  from  home."  He  knew  very  well 
what  had  brought  them;  but  with  the  knowledge  that  he 
now  possessed  as  to  Marjorie's  identity,  he  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  to  poke  a  little  fun  at  the  detec- 
tives who  had  given  both  to  her  and  to  himself  such  an  un- 
pleasant quarter  of  an  hour. 

"Just  in  the  nick  of  time ;  you're  right  there,  my  boy," 
he  replied  grimly ;  "and  as  for  the  reason  we're  here,  we'll 
very  soon  show  you  that,  won't  we,  Bob  ?" 

"You  just  bet  we  will,"  said  Bob,  as  he  skipped  nimbly 
out  of  the  car  and  advanced  round  to  the  other  side  of 
the  couple  so  as  to  be  ready  in  case  of  any  attempt  to 
escape.  "  'Once  bit,  twice  shy/  you  know." 

"I'm  afraid  that  I  shall  have  to  arrest  you  both,  this 
time,  my  light-hearted  friend,"  said  Inspector  Brown, 
himself  stepping  out  and  planting  himself  on  the  near  side 
of  the  pair.  He  was  distinctly  nettled  to  find  Keith  treat- 
ing so  lightly  of  the  matter ;  and  he  was  in  no  mind  to  be 


240  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

made  a  fool  of,  especially  by  one  who,  if  not  a  criminal, 
had  been  consorting  with  one.  He  was  angry  with  him- 
self for  having  let  sentiment  interfere  with  business  be- 
fore and  he  was  angry  with  Keith  for  having  persuaded 
him  against  his  better  judgment.  Now  he  welcomed  the 
chance  to  get  even  with  him.  With  a  quick  movement  he 
snatched  something  from  his  pocket  that  clinked  sugges- 
tively as  he  drew  it  forth.  In  the  darkness  it  was  impos- 
sible to  see  what  it  was.  Meanwhile  the  other  man  had 
moved  in  behind  Marjorie  and  a  couple  of  paces  nearer 
to  Keith. 

Marjorie  had  recognised  the  two  detectives  with  dismay, 
although  their  coming  was  but  a  minor  disaster  after  the 
danger  that  she  had  just  escaped  from.  It  came  to  her 
all  at  once,  what  she  had  completely  forgotten  in  the 
exciting  events  of  the  night,  that  she  had  broken  her 
parole;  that  she  was  still  under  police  surveillance. 
Through  her,  Mr.  Leicester  was  likely  to  suffer  much  un- 
pleasantness as  well  as  perhaps  the  loss  of  his  two  thou- 
sand dollars  because  of  her  thoughtlessness.  No  doubt, 
the  matter  could  all  be  explained;  but  to  do  so,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  disclose  her  identity  and  call  her  guar- 
dian to  her  aid  to  corroborate  her  story.  This  would, 
indeed,  be  a  bitter  draught  to  swallow ;  but  it  would  have 
to  be  done,  she  reflected,  in  order  to  atone  as  far  as 
possible  for  the  wrong  that  she  had  already  done. 

Her  heart  sank  as  she  listened  to  the  Inspector's  grim 
words  and  noticed  the  sinister  action  of  the  two  men  as 
they  closed  around  Keith.  With  the  quick  intuition  of 
fear,  she  guessed  that  it  was  a  pair  of  handcuffs  that 
Inspector  Brown  had  pulled  from  his  pocket;  and  in- 
voluntarily she  drew  in  close  to  Keith  again — for  she  had 
stepped  away  from  him  a  little  as  the  car  had  come  up — 
as  if  to  protect  him  from  the  detective's  threatened  attack. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  241 

"You'd  better  stand  back  there,  miss,"  warned  In- 
spector Brown.  "You'll  be  the  less  likely  to  get  hurt 
if  Mr.  Leicester  isn't  sensible.  Best  give  yourself  up 
quietly,  sir,"  he  said  to  Keith,  "and  save  trouble  to  us 
all." 

Keith  laughed. 

"I  haven't  the  faintest  intention  of  resisting,"  he  said ; 
"so  you  needn't  worry  about  that.  I  would  like  you  to 
allow  Miss  Colquhoun  to  get  into  the  car  and  sit  down,  as 
she  has  just  come  through  a  very  trying  experience  and 
must  be  faint,"  he  said.  "Don't  be  afraid,"  he  whispered 
in  her  ear ;  "it's  all  right." 

"Here  now,"  said  the  Inspector  suspiciously;  "none  of 
that.  You  needn't  try  any  tricks  on  me  or  it'll  be  the 
worse  for  you.  I'll  be  delighted  to  have  the  lady  get  into 
the  car — indeed,  I'll  invite  her  most  urgently,"  he  added, 
laughing  sardonically,  "as  soon  as  I  have  disposed  of  you. 
Once  I  have  you  safe,  it'll  be  easy  enough  to  get  her.  Just 
let  me  slip  these  on  your  wrists,"  and  he  moved  yet  a 
step  nearer. 

"Just  a  minute,  my  man,"  said  Keith  coolly.  "I  quite 
believe  that  you  think  you  are  doing  your  duty;  but  you 
had  better  be  careful.  Before  you  take  the  responsibility 
of  arresting  me,  you  had  better  tell  me  just  what  it  is 
for." 

"Come  now,  cut  out  all  this  injured  innocence  business. 
It  don't  work  with  us,"  said  the  other  detective  impa- 
tiently. "I  want  to  be  on  the  road  home  again  and  the 
sooner  the  better." 

i      "Yes,  J'll  tell  you  what  for  and  pretty  quick,  too,"  said 

Inspector  Brown  raising  his  voice  in  anger.     "For  aiding 

and  abetting  a  suspected  criminal  to  escape,  that's  what 

for ;  and  quite  enough  for  me,  too,  I'm  telling  you." 

s"I  thought  it  was  agreed  between  us  in  Mr.  Graham's 


242  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

office,"  said  Keith  speaking  slowly  and  quietly  and  with 
perfect  calmness,  "that  so  long  as  Miss  Colquhoun  was  in 
my  company,  it  would  be  all  right,  seeing  that  I,  having 
my  two  thousand  dollars  at  stake,  would  be  the  last  to 
allow  her  to  run  away.  I  fail  to  see  why,  because  we  have 
taken  a  little  spin  out  into  the  country  and  unfortunately 
met  with  an  accident,  there  should  be  all  this  excite- 
ment." 

"You  were  going  to  help  her  to  jump  her  bail,  though, 
my  boy,  and  you  needn't  tell  me  any  different,"  was  the 
Inspector's  angry  reply.  "She's  turned  you  round  her 
little  finger  just  as  she's  fooled  many  a  wiser  man;  and 
you  were  going  along  with  her.  So  both  of  you  will  go 
with  me  and  I'm  going  to  make  the  arrest  now,  I  tell 
you." 

"Softly,  my  friend,  softly,"  said  Keith.  "If  you  won't 
listen  to  reason  along  that  line  perhaps  you  will  along 
this.  I  am  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  as  well  as  Police  Com- 
missioner for  my  municipality;  and  it  would  certainly 
T>e  difficult  for  you  to  explain  to  the  magistrate  in  the 
morning  why  you  came  to  arrest  me  outside  of  your  own 
jurisdiction  and  within  mine — you'll  look  rather  silly,  be- 
lieve me,  Inspector  Brown,  and  it  won't  do  your  reputa- 
tion as  a  smart  officer  any  good.  I  am  escorting  Miss 
Colquhoun  to  her  home  near  Portlake  and  I  shall  under- 
take to  produce  her  at  any  time  if  required  as  she  has  not 
the  faintest  intention  of  running  away." 

The  Inspector  slipped  what  he  held  in  his  hand  unob- 
trusively back  into  his  pocket;  and  taking  out  his  hand- 
kerchief, he  wiped  his  brow. 

"Well,  I'll  be  blowed!"  he  exclaimed.  "Bob,  what  do 
you  think  of  that?" 

"You  can  search  me,"  declared  Bob,  shaking  his  head 
sadly. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  243 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  if  you  would  allow  Miss 
Colquhoun  to  get  in,"  suggested  Keith  again  mildly. 

There  was  a  pause  during  which  nothing  was  spoken; 
and  then  with  a  sigh,  the  Inspector  turned  slowly  and 
opened  the  door  of  the  car.  Keith  assisted  Marjorie  to 
enter  it  and  tucked  her  carefully  in  with  the  lap-robe. 
After  he  had  assured  himself  that  she  was  comfortable, 
he  turned  to  the  Inspector. 

"Don't  be  down-hearted,  Inspector,"  he  said.  "I  have 
a  prisoner  of  my  own,  I  should  like  to  turn  over  to  you 
if  you  don't  mind;  and  you  can  take  all  the  credit  of 
his  capture  yourselves.  I  hope  he's  not  hurt  much,  though 
he's  had  rather  a  bad  fall,"  and  he  explained  just  what 
had  taken  place. 

The  Inspector  was  at  once  all  interest;  and  together 
the  three  men  went  and  lifted  the  injured  thug  out  of 
the  hole  where  he  was  still  lying.  He  groaned  as  he  was 
being  moved ;  but  when  Keith  felt  his  pulse,  it  seemed  to 
be  beating  strongly  enough. 

"There  was  a  store  held  up  at  Mission  yesterday," 
remarked  the  inspector  reflectively.  "I  wonder  if  this 
chap  might  not  have  had  a  hand  in  it  There  were  three 
men  involved  in  that  though." 

"There  were  two  others  with  him,"  said  Marjorie  from 
the  seat  of  the  auto ;  "but  they  went  on.  I  overheard  them 
make  some  reference  to  'some  job  up  the  river'." 

"Is  that  so  ?"  said  the  Inspector  excitedly.  "Then  we'd 
better  try  to  get  hold  of  them." 

"You  remember  we  passed  two  men  on  the  side  of  the 
road  not  long  ago?"  said  the  other  detective.  "If  we 
hurry  we  can  soon  catch  up  to  them  but  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  these  two  ?" 

The  Inspector  was  silent. 

"Just  a  word  with  you,  Inspector  Brown,"  said  Keith, 


244  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

taking  him  on  one  side  out  of  hearing  of  the  others.  "As 
a  matter  of  fact,  I  can  now  tell  you  just  who  Miss  Col- 
quhoun  is.  She  is  the  ward  of  Lord  Angleside  who  is  now 
at  the  Hotel  Vancouver.  He  and  his  wife  arrived  this 
afternoon.  They  came  after  her;  hut  she  does  not  want 
to  see  them  and  is  on  her  way  back  to  Portlake  to  the 
people  she  is  staying  with." 

"But  if  that  is  who  she  is,  why  all  this  mystery  about 
it  ?"  asked  the  Inspector  sharply.  "Why  didn't  she  tell 
us  and  avoid  all  this  bother  ?" 

"She  has  been  estranged  from  them,"  said  Keith ;  "but 
no  doubt,  the  misunderstandings  will  all  be  cleared  away 
ere  long.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  Anglesides  are 
coming  up  to  Portlake  to-morrow  to  see  her.  ISTow  then, 
be  a  good  fellow  and  run  away  after  the  real  thugs  and 
leave  us  alone." 

"Oh,  well,"  said  the  Inspector  plainly  conquered ;  "I've 
been  in  love  myself  and  I  don't  want  to  be  a  spoil-sport, 
I'm  sure.  And  if  the  lady  is  all  that  you  say  she  is,  well- 
connected  and  all  that,  I'm  sure  I  wish  you  luck." 

"There's  one  thing,  though,"  said  Keith ;  "I  don't  want 
her  brought  in  as  a  witness  against  these  fellows.  No 
doubt,  you  can  connect  them  with  this  Mission  robbery. 
Probably  they  have  some  of  the  stuff  on  them;  and  that 
will  be  good  enough.  Miss  Colquhoun,  remember,  will 
not  prosecute." 

"Oh,  I  guess  that  will  be  all  right,"  was  the  reply.  "I 
dare  say  we  can  manage  without  her  well  enough.  I  must 
be  off  though  or  those  fellows  may  give  us  the  slip." 

"Miss  Colquhoun,  I  have  the  horses  tied  up  just  a  short; 
distance  farther  on,"  said  Keith  to  Marjorie.  "That  was 
what  brought  me  back  so  quickly.  I  found  Puck  graz- 
ing by  the  side  of  the  road  and  J  knew  that  there  wa3 


' 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  245 

something  wrong.  Do  you  feel  able  to  go  on  or  would 
you  prefer  to  go  back  to  town  in  the  auto  ?" 

"Oh,  by  all  means,  I  should  like  to  go  on,"  said  Mar- 
jorie  eagerly;  "that  is — that  is,"  she  said  shyly  turning 
down  her  head,  "if  you  would  be  able  to  see  me  home." 

"Why,  of  course,"  said  Keith  with  a  note  of  pleasure  in 
his  voice.  "Then  that  is  settled,  my  friends.  We  shall 
leave  the  prisoner  to  you  and  I  wish  you  good  luck  with 
the  other  two." 

Marjorie  had  jumped  lightly  out  of  the  auto  with 
little  trace  of  stiffness  in  her  mien ;  and  the  two  detectives 
lost  no  time  in  lifting  their  prisoner,  who  had  now  re- 
vived considerably,  into  the  back  seat,  one  of  them  getting 
in  beside  him  to  guard  against  any  attempt  at  escape.  In- 
spector Brown  quickly  cranked  the  car,  which  his  col- 
league had  already  turned  round  during  the  former's  brief 
tete-a-tete  with  Keith,  and  they  were  off  with  a  parting 
wave  of  the  hand. 

Keith  and  Marjorie  stood  for  a  moment  watching  the 
receding  auto. 

"I  almost  hope  that  they  won't  be  able  to  catch  them," 
said  the  latter  with  a  sigh,  "but  I  suppose  that  it  would 
really  be  better  for  other  people  if  they  were  locked  up. 
Life  is  a  strange  puzzle,  isn't  it,  after  all  ?"  she  added  as 
they  turned  down  the  road  to  walk  to  where  Keith  had 
left  the  horses. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

"Oh  Jiaste  ihee,  haste!"  the  lady  cries, 
"Though  tempests  round  us  gather; 

I'll  meet  the  raging  of  the  skies, 
But  not  an  angry   father." 

CAMPBELL. 

"I  CAN  never  repay  you  for  what  you  have  done  to- 
night/' she  said  as  they  rode  along.  "When  I  think — " 
she  tried  to  continue,  but  her  voice  failed  her. 

"But  you  must  not  think  about  it  at  all,"  said  Keith 
in  brisk,  cheery  tones  of  authority.  "You  have  still  a 
long  ride  before  you  and  you  must  save  all  your  ener- 
gies for  that;  unless  you  would  like  to  go  back  to  the 
hotel  at  Coquitlam." 

"Oh,  no,"  she  replied  shuddering  at  the  thought  of 
turning  back.  "I  want  to  keep  right  on.  But  how  did 
you  manage  to  follow  me?  I  didn't  think  that  any  one 
could  have  caught  up  to  me,  on  horseback  at  least." 

"ISTo,  I'm  afraid  this  isn't  quite  such  a  speedy  beast 
as  all  that,  though  he's  not  so  bad  you  know,"  said  Keith 
smiling.  "You  see  I  started  out  in  a  motor  and  it  was  a 
case  of  the  more  hurry,  the  less  speed.  We  had  a  punc- 
ture between  Barnet  and  Port  Moody  which  we  didn't 
stop  to  repair;  but  between  Port  Moody  and  Coquitlam 
the  chauffeur  ran  us  into  a  pile  of  stones  and  sent  us 
into  the  ditch.  So  I  walked  on,  leaving  the  man  with  his 
«ar,  and  hired  this  beast  at  the  livery  stable  at  Coquitlam, 
where  I  also  ascertained  that  you  had  passed  through  a 
short  time  before." 

246 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  247 

"I  stopped  there  to  have  something  to  eat,"  said  Mar- 
jorie. 

"Well,  they  noticed  you  all  right,"  said  Keith.  "It  was 
quite  romantic,  you  know,"  he  rattled  away  thinking  to 
distract  her  mind  and  relieve  the  tension.  "There  was  a 
group  of  three  or  four  in  front  of  the  hotel  and  I  asked 
them,  had  they  seen  a  young  lady  on  horseback  passing 
through;  and  you  should  have  heard  them  all  speak  at 
once  to  tell  me.  I  didn't  stop  long  to  listen  though." 

"You  must  be  tired  out  and  you  haven't  had  anything- 
to  eat,"  she  said  with  sudden  solicitude.  "I  haven't  de- 
served that  you  should  show  me  such  kindness." 

"It  is  you  that  must  be  tired  after  your  long  ride 
and  faint  from  your  fright.  Here  we  come  to  the  Pitt 
River  now,"  he  said,  as  they  came  to  a  wooden  bridge  that 
led  up  to  the  dyke  along  the  bank.  "That  little  house  on 
the  top  is  where  the  ferryman  stays.  Let's  hope  he  is 
there." 

They  climbed  the  slight  ascent  and  Keith  dismounted 
and  knocked  at  the  door.  There  was  no  answer  at  first 
but  when  he  knocked  again  a  deep  voice  came  out  to  them. 

"All  right,  I'll  be  there  in  five  minutes,"  it  said. 

"Let  us  go  down  and  sit  on  the  bank  until  he  comes," 
said  Keith. 

Marjorie  welcomed  the  suggestion  as  she  was  now 
feeling  so  faint  that  she  could  hardly  stay  on  her  horse. 
After  he  had  led  the  two  horses  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
landing,  Keith  almost  lifted  her  out  of  the  saddle;  and 
when  he  tried  to  set  her  on  her  feet,  she  would  have  fallen 
had  he  not  caught  her  again  in  his  arms.  He  carried  her 
to  the  side  and  set  her  gently  down  on  a  wooden  bench 
that  offered  a  convenient  seat. 

"Feeling  a  bit  queer,  aren't  you?"  he  said,  supporting 
her  with  his  arm.  "No  wonder,  after  such  a  fright  1" 


248  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"I  am  ashamed  of  myself  to  be  so  silly,"  slie  replied 
faintly;  4<I  never  was  taken  this  way  before;  but  I'll 
be  all  right  in  a  minute." 

"If  you  can  sit  up,  I'll  get  something  that  will  brace 
you  a  bit,"  said  Keith;  and  he  ran  to  the  edge  and  re- 
turned with  his  hat  half  full  of  water.  A  little  of  this  he 
dashed  in  her  face  and  he  made  her  drink  some;  and 
she  immediately  began  to  feel  better.  Her  face  was  pale 
in  the  moonlight  but  she  was  smiling  faintly  up  at 
him. 

"You  are  too  good  to  me,"  she  protested. 

Keith's  emotions  had  been  like  to  get  the  better  of  his 
judgment  and  he  did  not  trust  himself  to  speak.  The 
holding  her  in  his  arms  was  rather  too  strong  for  all  the 
good  resolutions  of  abnegation  which  he  had  made  in 
the  motor  as  he  was  speeding  along  in  pursuit. 

"You  must  take  care,  my  boy,"  he  was  saying  to  him- 
self; "or  you  will  be  disgracing  yourself.  You  should 
have  told  her  of  your  love  in  the  Park  this  afternoon. 
~Now  that  you  know  that  she  is  an  heiress,  it  is  out  of 
the  question.  This  little  runaway  trip  to  the  West  is 
just  a/ girlish  escapade;  and  she  will  soon  be  back  in  her 
own  gay  world  amongst  her  own  people  and  she  will  look 
back  on  the  few  months  she  spent  out  here  as  a  kind  of 
romantic  madness.  For  a  rancher  like  you  to  ask  her 
to  marry  you,  it  wouldn't  be  playing  the  game.  She's  not 
much  more  than  a  child  and  estranged  from  her  guardian 
at  that;  and  to  speak  would  be  to  take  an  unfair  advan- 
tage." 

As  these  thoughts  were  passing  through  his  mind,  he 
sat  gazing  out  upon  the  broad,  dark  river  as  it  flowed 
along  mysterious  and  silent  except  for  the  soft  lappings 
and  gurglings  around  the  piles  of  the  landing  upon  which 
they  sat.  He  was  too  much  engrossed  to  hear  her  when 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  249 

she  spoke  again  and  she  had  to  repeat  what  she  said  in  a 
tone  more  insistent. 

"You  have  not  asked  me  why  I  ran  away  and  broke  my 
parole?" 

"Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  excused  himself;  "I'm 
afraid  my  wits  were  wool-gathering.  No,  it  is  true  I 
have  not/'  he  replied  with  provoking  phlegm. 

"But  why  ?"  she  said  in  a  tone  slightly  petulant.  "Are 
you  not  angry  ?  and  are  you  not  curious  ?" 

"Do  you  mind  if  I  smoke?"  he  asked,  taking  out  a 
cigarette  and  proceeding  to  light  it  with  elaborate  care. 
"No,"  he  replied,  after  he  had  taken  a  few  puffs ;  "I  am 
not  curious  because  I  know ;  and  I  am  not  angry  because 
I  can  sympathise  with  your  feelings  in  the  predicament." 

"Then  who  told  you?  You  didn't  speak  to  them  of 
me  ?"  she  asked  with  sudden  alarm. 

"Of  course,  I  had  to,"  he  replied,  still  keeping  his 
gaze  straight  before  him.  "I  told  them  all  about  you  and 
your  little  trouble  with  Inspector  Brown  and  the  arrange- 
ments we  had  made  for  bail  and  all  the  rest  of  it." 

He  was  speaking  gruffly  but  she  knew  by  a  something 
in  his  tone  that  he  was  not  in  earnest.  In  any  case,  she 
felt  that  he  would  not  have  given  her  secret  away.  She 
knew  him  well  enough  for  that;  and  if  she  had  mis- 
judged him  once,  she  was  not  going  to  be  so  quick  to  do  it 
again.  At  the  same  time,  she  was  puzzled  by  the  changed 
inflection  of  his  voice,  a  certain  suggestion  of  constraint 
which  was  almost  too  subtle  to  be  noticeable  at  all. 

"You're  joking,  of  course,"  she  said;  "but  I  want  to 
know  who  told  you  about  me  and  what  they  told  you. 
They  didn't  notice  me  with  you  or  when  I  was  leaving  the 
dining-room,  did  they?" 

"I  don't  think  they  did,"  Keith  answered;  "they  were 
too  much  occupied  with  your  humble  servant,  I  fancy. 


250  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

They  asked  me  to  sit  with  them  and  I,  of  course,  refused, 
only  to  find  that  you  had  flown.  Then,  much  against  my 
inclination,  I  went  over  and  took  the  meal  with  them; 
though  as  you  may  imagine  I  was  none  too  happy  about 
it." 

"I'm  so  sorry,"  she  said  hesitating  for  a  brief  space, 
reluctant  to  say  what  was  in  her  mind  yet  anxious  to 
sound  him  farther;  "but  your  friend  would  be  glad,  was 
she  not?"  she  concluded  at  last,  still  looking  down  and 
thankful  for  the  obscurity  of  night  that  concealed  the  hot 
flush  that  she  felt  was  on  her  cheeks. 

"I  am  afraid  that  I  was  not  considering  her  very  much," 
said  Keith  speaking  lightly  though  his  heart  was  thumping 
alarmingly  in  his  chest.  "I  had  it  out  with  her  after 
dinner  in  the  lounge  though.  That  was  all  over  and 
finished  with  three  years  ago  by  her  own  wish;  it  could 
never  be  revived.  It  was  then  she  told  me  about  this 
young  runaway  that  Lord  Angleside  and  his  son  have  come 
in  search  of.  They  have  your  address  all  right  and  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  to  see  them  at  Bolton's  to-morrow." 

"Oh,  dear,  I  wish  that  ferryman  would  hurry  up,"  she 
said  rising  in  agitation.  "I  think  I  should  like  to  be 
going  on.  I  suppose  Wilfrid  will  be  there  too ;  and  there 
will  be  a  dreadful  scene.  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  at  any  rate 
they  didn't  catch  me  in  town;"  and  she  went  over  to 
stroke  the  noses  of  the  horses  that  were  standing  quietly 
close  by,  too  tired  to  stir  from  the  spot  where  Keith  had 
left  them. 

The  ferryman,  as  if  in  answer  to  their  wish,  at  this 
moment  appeared  and  took  down  the  wooden  rail  on  the 
end  of  the  scow  permitting  them  to  lead  the  horses  aboard. 
This  took  some  coaxing  as  both  of  them  at  first  objected 
evidently  feeling  nervous  about  their  novel  surroundings. 
[When  the  ferryman  had  gone  below  and  the  gasoline  en- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  251 

gine  which  propelled  the  scow  across  by  means  of  a  cable 
stretching  from  bank  to  bank,  started  up  with  weird 
gaspings  and  clankings,  it  was  all  Keith  could  do  to 
keep  the  frightened  animals  from  jumping  over  the  side. 
There  was  not  much  opportunity  for  further  conversation, 
therefore,  until  they  arrived  safely  at  the  other  side. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

I  and  my  mistress  side  by  side 

Shall  be  together,  breathe  and  ride, 
So,  one  day  more  am  I  deified. 

Who  knows  but  the  world  may  end  to-night? 

BROWNING. 

Tier  maiden  pride,  her  haughty  name, 
My  dumb  devotion  shall  not  shame; 
The  love  that  no  return  doth  crave 
To  Tcnightly  levels  lifts  the  slave. 

WHITTIEB. 

THEY  rode  up  the  wooden  approach  on  the  other  side 
and  took  their  way  along  the  level  meadowlands  beyond. 
To  their  left,  the  Golden  Ears  now  towered  in  lonely 
majesty;  and  Marjorie  welcomed  the  sight  of  their  famil- 
iar peaks,  for  they  helped  her  to  realise  that  she  was 
nearing  home.  The  mystery  of  the  night  and  the  moon- 
light lay  upon  the  sleeping  country  through  which  they 
passed  and  as  they  rode  along  now  in  silence — for  both 
were  wrapped  in  their  thoughts — she  almost  felt  as  if 
she  was  in  dreamland,  the  sense  of  unreality  was  so 
persistent.  The  horses'  hoofbeats  were  deadened  by  the 
layer  of  dust  that  covered  the  road  and  they  moved  along 
noiselessly  at  a  walking  pace.  Occasionally,  however,  an 
owl  perched  on  the  fence  at  the  side  of  the  road  would 
dart  away  with  a  startling  screech  and  the  air  was  vocal 
with  the  multitudinous  croaking  of  the  frogs. 

"Your  British  Columbia  orchestra  is  out  in  full  force 
to-night,"  said  Marjorie  at  last  when  the  silence  had  be- 
gun to  weigh  upon  her. 

"Yes,  they  are  celebrating  your  homecoming,"  said 
Keith,  smiling  down  at  her.  "Now  if  you  were  in 

252 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  253 

England,   you  might  be  listening  to  the  nightingales." 

"All  the  same  the  frogs  have  their  good  points,"  she 
replied.  "There's  a  something  soothing  and  soul-satis- 
fying in  their  myriad-throated  chorus  that  never  ceases 
all  night  long.  However,  it's  true  enough,  as  one  of  your 
poets  has  it,  that  'a  bull-frog  am  no  nightingale,' "  she 
quoted. 

"Yes,  there  is  a  soothing  effect,  soothing  if  not  so- 
porific," he  agreed;  "not  in  the  chirruping  of  the  frogs 
alone  but  that  and  the  moonlight  and  the  sleeping  country 
taken  together.  How  petty  and  empty  seem  all  the  fuss 
and  fretting  of  the  daytime  on  a  night  like  this.  If  we 
could  only  forget  about  it — the  false  worships  and  the 
sham  conventions  and  the  golden  calves — "  he  went  on 
surprised  somewhat  at  his  own  temerity  but  the  spell  of 
the  night  was  upon  him  tuo ;  "how  you  and  I  would  be  able 
to  talk  to  one  another  if  there  were  no  such  things  as  rank 
and  riches." 

She  sensed  the  pent-up  feeling  in  his  tone  and  though 
she  feared  its  flowing  forth,  Eve-like  she  could  not  re- 
sist the  temptation  to  dally  with  it. 

"We  might  use  Dick's  magic  formula,  let's  pretend,' ' 
she  suggested  in  a  tone  so  low  as  to  be  hardly  audible. 

He  glanced  at  her  quickly  but  her  eyes  were  on  the 
road  ahead. 

"Ah,  if  we  only  had  the  courage,"  he  said  regret- 
fully; "and  then  the  pretending  would  be  the  real  after 
all.  You  remember,"  he  went  on,  "this  afternoon  I  told 
you  that  there  was  something  that  I  would  like  to  tell 
you  but  I  felt  I  did  not  have  the  right  to  speak.  I  wisK 
that  I  had  spoken  then;  for  now,  it  seems  I  Have  less 
right  than  ever." 

She  smiled  at  him  in  the  moonlight  and  it  seemed  her 
smile  held  a  hint  of  mockery. 


254  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"There  was  once  a  monster  of  ancient  Egypt,"  she  said 
flouting  his  earnestness  though  there  was  a  catch  in  her 
voice  that  belied  her  raillery,  "that  loved  to  talk  in  rid- 
dles." 

"For  that  matter,"  said  Keith,  gaining  courage  as  he 
looked  at  her,  "there  was  once  a  maiden  of  British  Co- 
lumbia that  delighted  to  talk  in  parables  and  by  means 
of  these  she  sought  to  teach  a  proud  and  presumptuous 
youth  who  had  insulted  her.  Perhaps,  if  you  object  to 
riddles,  one  might  take  a  leaf  from  her  book." 

She  had  slightly  turned  her  head  and  her  face  was 
in  the  shadow. 

"She  used  to  tell  about  a  knight  called  Chivalry,  who 
fell  upon  evil  times,"  he  went  on,  "about  whom  she  told 
sad  stories  of  degeneracy  and  decay.  There  was  a  knight 
she  didn't  know  of,  whose  name  doesn't  matter.  !Now 
this  knight  fell  in  love  with  a  maiden  whom  he  had 
befriended  in  a  sneaking  sort  of  way — he  had  rescued 
her  from  some  inconvenience  from  a  pair  of  villains  who 
had  evil  designs  on  her;  not,  mind  you,  by  any  bravery 
or  the  strength  of  his  own  right  arm  but  merely  by  the 
risking  of  his  money-bags.  The  maiden — as  maidens  often 
will — was  unduly  grateful  for  this  small  service  and 
magnified  it  far  beyond  what  it  deserved;  and  she  gra- 
ciously permitted  the  knight  to  be  her  attendant  pending 
her  return  to  home  and  safety.  He,  silly  fellow,  had 
fallen  in  love  with  her  thinking  her  to  be  comparatively 
poor  and  friendless,  though  realising  that  she  must  be 
sprung  from  gentle  lineage.  He  would  not  tell  her  of 
his  love,  however,  until  she  had  returned  to  her  home 
again,  fearing  that  that  would  be  taking  an  unfair  ad- 
vantage of  her  helplessness." 

"In  truth,  'he  was  a  verray  parfit,  gentil  knyght,'  "  she 
quoted  softly,  as  he  paused  for  a  moment  in  his  tale. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  255 

"But,  lo,  while  he  waited,"  he  went  on  without  taking 
any  notice  of  her  interruption,  "he  found  out  that  the 
maiden  was  really  a  great  lady  in  her  own  right  with  a 
castle  of  her  own  and  many  retainers,  while  he,  himself, 
was  only  an  humble  knight  with  one  squire.  She  had 
merely  been  masquerading  as  a  poor  maiden,  and  now  her 
powerful  friends  had  come  to  seek  her.  Therefore,  it 
became  apparent  to  him  that  she  was  far  beyond  him  and 
even  if  perchance  she  might  listen  to  his  suit,  his  pride 
and  Ms  poverty  would  not  permit  him  to  advance  it." 

"But  don't  you  think  that  he  was  supersensitive  ?"  she 
said  when  at  last,  he  paused;  but  still  her  eyes  were 
turned  away  from  him.  "What  an  uncomfortable  pride 
to  have;  had  the  man  no  common  sense?" 

His  heart  was  beating  wildly  and  there  was  a  tightening 
sensation  in  his  chest;  but  he  forced  himself  to  an  out- 
ward appearance  of  calmness. 

"Well,  you  see  he  had  been  unfortunate  in  an  earlier 
love  affair  in  which  the  lady  had  humiliated  him  when  he 
lost  his  lands;  and  he  had  vowed  that  it  would  never 
happen  again." 

"So,  he  argued  that  the  second  lady  was  of  like  charac- 
ter to  the  first,"  Marjorie  suggested  with  a  burst  of  fine 
indignation;  "and  'he  loved  and  he  rode  away,'  I  sup- 
pose. I'm  afraid  he  was  just  another  variety  of  the 
fickle  knight  in  the  poem.  We  need  hardly  waste  any 
pity  on  him,  I  think,  as  his  love  could  not  have  been  very 
deep;"  and  in  her  contempt,  at  last,  she  looked  at  him 
but  as  quickly  turned  away  again. 

His  heart  was  sore  but  he  resisted  the  temptation  to 
tell  her  out  and  out  that  he  loved  her.  Every  line  of  her 
slender  figure  as  it  swung  easily  in  the  saddle  to  her 
horse's  stride,  made  him  long  to  take  her  in  his  arms ;  but 
he  told  himself  that  he  had  no  right.  She  might  repent 


256  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

afterwards  when  she  realised  what  she  had  given  up,  and 
it  would  be  his  fault ;  for  he  could  never  go  back  and  live 
in  luxury  on  his  wife's  money.  There  were  some  sacri- 
fices too  great  even  for  love ;  and  a  man's  self-respect  was 
surely  one  of  them.  He  had  done  wrong  to  say  as  much 
as  he  had;  and  he  must  try  to  undo  the  mischief  he  had 
begun — if  he  had,  indeed,  aroused  her  interest  or  even 
her  liking.  Perhaps,  in  the  future,  something  might 
happen  to  enable  him  to  offer  his  suit  on  an  equal  foot- 
ing; but,  for  the  present,  he  had  no  right  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  unusual  circumstances  into  which  chance  had 
brought  them. 

"And  the  maiden  of  high  degree,"  .she  questioned  after 
a  short  silence  with  the  proud,  little  toss  of  her  head  which 
he  had  learned  to  know  so  well ;  "does  the  story  say  what 
were  her  feelings  when  the  knight  went  away  without 
having  spoken?" 

"Oh,  well,"  he  replied;  "she  may  have  missed  him  a 
little  at  first,  but  when  she  had  come  back  to  her  castle 
and  was  surrounded  by  her  friends  and  retainers,  she 
was  glad  that  she  had  seen  the  last  of  him." 

She  laughed  a  derisive  little  laugh  but  there  was  a 
note  of  pain  in  it.  "jl  see,"  she  said:  "she  was  shallow 
and  fickle  as  he  was  proud  and  fickle  and  there  was  a  pair 
of  them.  Well,  I  do  not  like  your  parables;  they  deal 
with  too  unpleasant  people.  I  think  we  had  better  return 
to  realities  after  all.  How  far  have  we  got  to  go  now  be- 
fore we  get  home?" 

I  fear  that  they  talked  commonplaces  for  the  rest  of 
their  journey  and  they  found  no  more  pleasure  in  the 
moonlight  and  the  mountains  and  the  night's  mysterious 
witcheries,  all  the  way  to  the  loghouse  in  the  clearing 
where  Dicky  was  dreaming  about  his  fairy  godmother  in 
the  sweet,  untroubled  slumber  of  youth. 


'CHAPTEK  XXXIII 

A  man  and  a  maid  on  a  summer's  day 

When  the  breeze  is  soft  and  the  skies  are  blue. 

ANON. 

MAEJOEIE  awoke  next  morning  to  the  clink  of  breakfast 
dishes  which  broke  with  a  cheery  sound  on  her  returning 
consciousness  after  the  troubled  dreams  that  had  vexed 
her  repose.  It  had  been  nearly  two  when,  having  said 
good-night  to  Keith  who  had  volunteered  to  take  Puck 
home  with  him  and  bring  him  back  in  the  morning,  she 
had  slipped  in  at  the  back  door  which  was  never  locked, 
and  got  to  bed  without  awakening  any  of  the  household. 

It  was  long  after  her  head  touched  the  pillows,  however, 
before  she  was  able  to  get  to  sleep.  Her  mind  was  in  a 
whirl  of  conflicting  emotions.  Her  conversation  with 
Keith,  intimate  and  personal  as  it  was,  though  dressed  in 
the  whimsical  parable  of  the  knight  and  the  maiden,  had 
left  her  with  an  odd  ache  at  her  heart,  which  she  found  it 
hard  to  explain.  Then,  she  looked  forward  with  some 
dread  to  the  arrival  of  Lord  and  Lady  Angleside  and 
Wilfrid,  her  former  fiance,  and  to  all  the  inevitable  re- 
proaches and  explanations  that  it  would  involve.  Aunt 
Sophronia  was  not  likely  to  spare  her;  although  the  first 
fury  of  her  anger  had  had  plenty  of  time  to  cool  in  the 
past  months.  Lord  Angleside,  Marjorie  did  not  fear  so 
much  as  he  was  too  easy-going  and  good-natured  to  treat 
her  harshly.  His  had  only  been  a  passive  part  in  forcing 
her  engagement  to  his  son. 

How  Wilfrid  would  behave  was  more  uncertain  and  it 
was  in  connection  with  him  that  her  conscience  had 

257 


258  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

troubled  her  most  of  all.  They  had  always  been  good 
"pals" ;  but  except  for  their  mutual  fondness  for  animals 
and  outdoor  sports,  there  was  nothing  much  in  common 
between  them.  She  had  felt  that  in  running  away,  she 
had  been  doing  the  best  for  both  of  them;  but  it  was 
doubtful  whether  he  would  look  at  the  matter  in  that  light. 
He  had  been  fond  of  her  after  a  fashion;  but  it  was 
the  fondness  of  a  comrade,  she  felt  sure,  rather  than  a 
Jover.  When  she  did  finally  get  to  sleep,  her  dreams  were 
a  distressing  nightmare  in  which  Wilfrid,  Keith,  the  two 
.detectives  and  her  Aunt  Sophronia  came  and  went  with 
most  bewildering  frequency;  and  through  them  all,  she 
herself  was  either  in  imminent  danger  or  deep  disgrace. 
It  was  no  wonder  then  that  when  she  awoke  in  the  morn- 
ing it  was  with  a  grateful  sense  of  relief  that  she  recog- 
nised the  familiar  sound  of  Dick's  spoon  against  the  sides 
.of  his  porridge  bowl  as  he  polished  off  the  last  few  mouth- 
fuls.  Her  room  opened  off  the  kitchen,  and  the  light  fir 
door  had  swung  slightly  ajar  so  that  she  could  hear  plainly 
the  boy's  voice  when  he  began  to  speak. 

"Aw,  Dad/'  he  was  saying;  "you  might  let  me  go. 
Marjorie  must  be  in  trouble  or  she  would  have  come  home 
yesterday." 

"No,  no,  Dick;  she  will  be  all  right,"  Bolton's  deep 
voice  watf  heard  in  reply.  "Something  has  come  up  to 
keep  her  another  day.  You  get  the  horse  ready  and  go 
down  to  the  train;  and  I  think  she  will  be  there  likely." 

"But  if  she  isn't  there,  I  want  to  go  right  down  to  Van- 
couver, Dad,"  the  boy's  voice  pleaded.  "I'll  walk  all  the 
.way  if  you'll  only  let  me  go." 

"We'll  see  what's  to  be  done  if  she  doesn't  come,"  his 
father  replied;  and  Marjorie  heard  him  push  back  the 
<;hair  and  go  outside. 

She  rose  and  began  to  dress  as  quickly  and  as  silently 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  259 

as  possible;  and  when,  a  short  time  later,  she  stepped  out 
into  the  kitchen,  the  boy  was  still  seated  at  the  table.  He 
got  up  with  a  shout  of  surprise  and  delight  but  he  was 
too  bashful  to  make  any  other  demonstration  of  wel- 
come. He  submitted,  however,  with  a  good  grace  to 
Marjorie's  kiss  before  delivering  himself  of  the  volley 
of  questions  which  rose  to  his  lips. 

"When  did  you  get  home  ?  What  kept  you  ?"  he  burst 
out.  "Won't  Mother  be  glad  to  have  you  back  again.  We 
thought  you  were  lost  when  you  didn't  come  yesterday. 
And  I  waited  till  the  very  last  train,"  he  added  plaintively. 

"You  poor  boy!"  exclaimed  Marjorie  sympathetically. 
"I  suppose  you  did  not  get  my  letter  then.  I  am  so  sorry 
but  I  couldn't  help  it,  Dicky,  dear;  and  I'm  so  glad 
to  be  home  again  with  you  and  Mother.  I  suppose  she 
is  still  asleep,  is  she?" 

He  nodded. 

"She  wasn't  so  well  yesterday,"  he  said,  his  face  length- 
ening. "She  can't  keep  from  worrying  and  when  you 
didn't  come  home,  she  was  awfully  afraid  that  something 
had  happened  to  you.  Dad  said  she  didn't  sleep  till  the 
morning  and  I  wasn't  to  waken  her." 

"Poor  little  mother,"  said  Marjorie;  "but  she  will  be 
all  right  now.  I  haven't  got  the  money  yet  but  I  shall 
get  it  soon,  Dick ;  and  your  mother  will  have  the  comfort 
she  needs." 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad,"  the  boy  said;  but  his  face  fell  as 
he  noted  for  the  first  time  the  girl's  pale  cheeks  and 
drooping  mien.  The  events  of  the  day  before,  the  long 
ride  and  a  nigh  sleepless  night  had  had  their  outward  ef- 
fect on  her ;  and  his  keen  eyes  could  not  long  overlook  the 
depression  of  which  her  face  was  eloquent.  "But  you're 
all  tired  out!"  he  exclaimed  with  sudden  solicitude.  "I 


260  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

wish  I  had  been  along  with  you  to  take  care  of  you.  What 
was  it  kept  you?" 

"Oh,  I  had  an  adventure,  Dick,  but  I  can't  tell  it  to 
you  now.  I'm  afraid  your  fairy  godmother  has  come 
back  in  disgrace/'  she  went  on  sadly;  "but  you're  not 
asking  whether  she  brought  your  gifts." 

"I  didn't  want  any  gifts,"  said  Dick  indignantly.  "I 
only  wanted  you  back  again." 

"You  remember  the  princess  in  the  story  that  ran  away 
from  home,"  Marjorie  went  on  in  a  low  voice;  "and  how 
her  friends  found  her  after  a  while  and  took  her  back  to 
reign  over  her  kingdom.  Well,  dear,  what  would  you 
think  if  my  friends  came  after  me  to-day  and  wanted  to 
take  me  away  with  them?" 

The  boy's  face  was  white  and  his  lips  quivered. 

"And  you — and  you  would  have  to  leave  us  for  always," 
he  stammered ;  "but  I  thought,"  he  went  on  with  a  gleam 
of  hope,  "that  the  princess  went  away  to  marry  the  prince ; 
and  there  isn't  a  prince,  is  there  ?" 

She  blushed  and  shook  her  head. 

"I'm  afraid  there  is  a  prince  too,  Dick;  and  the  worst 
of  it  is,  he  isn't  the  right  one." 

"And  is  he  coming  too  ?"  he  asked. 

"I'm  afraid  he  is." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  go  with  him,  that's  all,"  he  said 
hotly.  "You  just  stay  with  us  till  the  right  one  comes 
and  you  and  I  know  who  he  is,  you  bet  we  do,"  he 
added  meaningly.  "The  princess  never  married  the  wrong 
one  in  the  stories,  did  she  ?" 

"But  it  doesn't  always  come  out  in  real  life  as  it  does 
in  the  stories,"  she  replied  blushing  in  spite  of  herself. 
"I  wish  it  did  though — I  wish  it  did." 

The  sound  of  a  cooee  came  in  througK  the  open  door. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  261 

"It's  Mr.  Leicester,"  said  Dick  excitedly;  "I  know  his 
voice." 

"Let  us  go  and  see  what  he  wants,"  said  Marjorie, 
quickly  going  to  the  cracked  mirror  that  hung  in  the 
kitchen  above  the  wash-basin  and  putting  both  hands 
to  her  hair  to  straighten  out  any  rebellious  strands  that 
in  her  hurried  dressing  had  escaped  attention.  Hand  in 
hand,  they  went  out  the  back  door  together  to  find  Keith 
standing  holding  Puck  by  the  bridle  rein.  The  pony  was 
pawing  the  ground  in  impatience  to  get  at  the  tempting 
grass  on  which  myriads  of  dewdrops  were  sparkling  in  the 
morning  sun.  The  air  was  fragrant  with  the  smell  of 
clover  and  the  roses  that  climbed  over  the  back  porch 
of  the  little  cottage. 

Keith,  himself,  was  in  his  shirtsleeves  and  wearing  his 
rough  ranch  clothes,  but  he  looked  fresh  and  fit;  and  the 
little  bay  had  been  groomed  until  his  skin  shone  lika 
satin  and  all  traces  of  his  hard  journey  had  disappeared. 
His  long  tail  had  been  brushed  until  it  hung  out  with  al? 
the  wavy  magnificence  of  that  of  a  general's  charger  and 
the  dainty,  little  hoofs  had  had  a  touch  of  tar. 

Keith  lifted  his  hat  to  Marjorie  and  said  good-morning. 
Her  eyes  thanked  him  but  they  quickly  fell  before  his 
and  she  turned  to  Dick  who  was  gazing  as  if  spellbound 
at  Puck. 

"This  is  the  bay  horse  with  the  long  tail  that  your  fairy 
godmother  was  to  bring  you,  Dicky,"  she  said ;  "and  you 
must  thank  Mr.  Leicester  for  grooming  it  so  finely." 

The  boy  tried  to  speak  but  his  emotions  were  too  much 
for  him ;  and  Keith  took  pity  on  his  confusion. 

"Come,  you  must  let  ,Miss  Colquhoun  see  how  well 
you  can  ride  him,"  he  said;  and  he  lifted  him  into 
the  saddle.  "I  shortened  the  stirrups  for  you  and  I 
think  they're  all  right  for  these  legs  of  yours.  Now,  off 


262  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

you  go  down  the  road.  He's  not  fresh  enough  to  run  away 
with  you  to-day;  but  after  he's  rested  up  a  little,  he'll 
soon  show  you  his  mettle." 

Puck  started  as  soon  as  he  felt  his  little  rider  in 
the  saddle;  and  they  were  off  at  a  brisk  trot  round  the 
house  and  down  the  road.  The  two  left  behind  walked 
slowly  after  him. 

"There  goes  happiness  unalloyed;  but  I  haven't  asked 
you  how  you  are  feeling  after  your  arduous  day  yes- 
terday?" said  Keith  turning  to  Marjorie  with  a  more 
intimate  air. 

"A  little  tired,"  she  confessed,  meeting  his  eyes  for  a 
moment  and  then  quickly  turning  away  with  an  odd  feel- 
ing of  constraint.  "I  dread  the  ordeal  before  me,"  and 
she  looked  out  !N~orth  to  the  sky-line  with  its  peak  upon 
peak  stretching  like  a  great  rampart  athwart  the  sky,  an 
intense  blue  but  flecked  with  fleecy  clouds  that  cast  their 
soft  shadows  on  the  timber-clad  slopes.  The  Golden  Ears 
and  the  higher  peaks  still  bore  their  garnishing  of  snow 
in  sharp  contrast  to  the  summery  glades  about  them. 
Down  the  narrow  lane  through  the  alder  wood,  Puck  and 
his  rider  were  gradually  growing  smaller.  Birds  were 
chirruping  and  bees  buzzed  around  sipping  honey  from 
the  purple  fireflower  and  the  clover  blossoms.  It  was  such 
a  day  as  made  one  glad  to  be  alive. 

"I  feel  as  a  schoolboy  might,"  she  said,  "when  on  a 
morning  like  this  he  had  to  go  to  school  when  he  might 
be  going  fishing.  I  should  like  to  take  Puck  and  ride  off 
to  the  hills  out  yonder  and  get  away  from  all  my  worries ; 
but  I  am  afraid  I'll  have  to  go  to  school  after  all,"  she 
added  with  a  sigh. 

Keith's  heart  thumped  alarmingly  against  the  walls 
of  his  chest;  and  he  felt  that  his  good  resolutions  of  the 
night  before  were  likely  to  be  broken.  He  took  a  sidelong 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  263 

glance  at  her  profile  as  she  gazed  longingly  towards  the 
distant  mountains,  marking  the  eager  poise  of  the  head  on 
the  ivory  neck,  the  red  lips  slightly  parted  over  the  proud, 
little  chin  and  the  glint  of  the  sunlight  in  the  coppery  gold 
of  her  hair  where  it  curled  about  the  shell-like  ear.  It 
reminded  him  of  a  bird  in  a  cage  that  was  pining  to  be 
free  and  his  heart  went  out  in  sympathy.  < 

"You  should  at  least  tell  her  and  take  your  chances," 
it  prompted. 

"And  repent  it  for  the  rest  of  your  life,"  sneered  hia 
pride. 

"You  can,  at  least,  afford  to  keep  her  in  comfort,"  was 
the  quick  reply;  "and  what  has  money  to  say  on  a  day 
like  this.  If  she  loves  you  what  else  matters;  and  it  is 
now,  if  ever,  that  she  needs  you." 

"You  remember  what  happened  before.  There  are  her 
relatives  to  consider;  and  they  would  never  consent  that 
she  should  bury  herself  out  here,"  said  Pride  with  a 
justness  that  could  not  be  gainsaid.  He  thought  of  Pa- 
tricia and  his  heart  abandoned  the  fight.  Ruthlessly  he 
crushed  down  the  longing  to  take  her  in  his  arms. 

"You'll  find  it  will  not  be  so  bad  after  all,"  he  said 
to  her  consolingly;  but  his  words  sounded  to  him  banal 
and  insincere.  A  constraint  like  a  wet  blanket  had  fallen 
upon  him.  She  turned  towards  him  with  a  brave,  little 
smile,  but  it  was  not  a  happy  one. 

"I  daresay  not,"  she  replied.  "Here  comes  Dicky 
back  again  at  full  speed.  I  shall  have  to  go  inside  now 
and  take  Mrs.  Bolton  her  breakfast." 


The  urchin  checked  his  foaming  steed 
And  an  eldritch  laugh  laughed  he: 

Who  dares  to  follow  where  I  lead 
A  woful  fate  maun  dree. 

OLD  BALLAD. 

ABOUT  two  hours  after  Dick  had  enjoyed  his  first  ride 
on  his  fairy  godmother's  gift,  a  large  touring  automobile 
drew  up  in  front  of  Jamieson's  general  store  at  Portlake. 
In  the  back  seat  sat  Lord  and  Lady  Angleside,  the  former 
looking  very  bored  and  weary  and  the  latter  leaning  back 
on  the  cushions  with  an  air  of  grim  determination  that 
heightened  even  the  natural  severity  of  her  patrician  fea- 
tures. Her  heavy  eyebrows  above  a  pair  of  piercing 
grey  eyes  and  a  long  aquiline  nose  over  a  small  thin- 
lipped  mouth  made  up  a  combination  awe-inspiring,  in- 
deed, when  her  Ladyship  was  in  a  temper  and  one  that 
Lord  Angleside  himself  was  as  much  in  terror  of  as  any 
housemaid  or  footman  at  the  family  seat. 

It  was  her  Ladyship's  practice  when  about  to  admonish 
'  any  culprit  who  had  been  unfortunate  enough  to  incur  her 
anger,  to  extend  the  sphere  of  her  displeasure  so  as  to 
take  in  the  innocent  members  of  her  family  circle ;  as  she 
felt  a  certain  amount  of  consolation  in  venting  it  upon 
all  and  sundry  whether  guilty  or  not.  Her  tactics  had  this 
advantage,  that  it  was  to  everybody's  distinct  benefit  to 
see  that  no  one  was  allowed  to  do  anything  to  ruffle  or 
annoy  her. 

264 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  265 

This  morning,  her  poor  husband,  during  the  two  hours 
that  it  had  taken  them  to  come  from  Vancouver,  in  spite 
of  all  the  freshness  of  the  morning  air  and  the  beauty  and 
novelty  of  the  scenery,  had  not  had,  by  any  means,  a  pleas- 
ant time  of  it.  Her  Ladyship  was  on  a  punitive  expedi- 
tion and  her  wrath  had  been  gathering  momentum,  so 
to  speak,  ever  since  the  ship  had  left  her  dock  at  Liver- 
pool. In  her  worst  throes  of  sea-sickness  and  amid  the 
discomforts  of  the  long  journey  by  rail,  she  had  consoled 
herself  time  and  again  with  the  anticipation  of  her  meet- 
ing with  Marjorie  and  the  things  that  she  would  say  to 
her.  She  had  looked  forward,  too,  to  the  return  journey 
with  the  weeping  captive  in  her  train  when  she  would 
have  still  further  opportunity  for  disciplining  the  once 
docile  girl  who  had  so  set  at  naught  her  authority,  and 
made  of  her  a  laughing  stock  in  the  set  where  she  had 
held  her  head  so  high.  Strange  to  say,  too,  these  thoughts 
of  vengeance  held  a  far  stronger  place  in  her  mind  than 
the  satisfaction  of  her  long  cherished  ambition  to  see  "Wil- 
frid master  of  the  Colquhoun  estates  and  married  to  the 
girl  who  was  their  necessary  appanage. 

Upon  Wilfrid  and  Miss  Devereux  who  sat  in  front,  her 
Ladyship's  glacial  gaze,  seeing  that  it  only  fell  upon  their 
backs,  had  had  small  effect;  and  the  two  were  enjoying 
each  other's  society  immensely.  Neither  Lord  nor  Lady 
Angleside  had  intended  that  the  young  woman  should  have 
been  of  the  party  at  all  that  morning;  but,  somehow  or 
other,  it  had  come  about  that  she  had  been  invited. 
Whether  it  was  the  hints  that  she  let  drop  as  to  the  lone- 
liness that  she  would  feel  in  their  absence  or  whether 
AVilfrid  was  anxious  to  have  her  with  them,  at  any  rate 
it  was  so  arranged  much  to  the  disgust  of  Lord  Angleside. 
Like  a  true  Britisher,  more  than  anything  else,  he  de- 
tested a  scene;  and  he  was  looking  forward  with  serious 


266  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

misgivings  to  the  errand  before  them.  It  was  purely  a 
family  matter,  he  felt,  and  to  have  any  outsider  with  them, 
no  matter  how  intimate,  was  bound  to  increase  the  un- 
pleasantness of  the  situation.  Lady  Angleside  had  ac- 
quiesced, however,  and  Patricia  had  not  worried  herself 
over  the  slight  dryness  which  had  been  evident  in  the  man- 
ner of  his  Lordship. 

Jamieson,  the  storekeeper,  had  just  brought  out  a  pack- 
age to  a  small  boy  on  a  bay  pony  who  rode  off  slowly  as 
they  drove  up,  looking  back  over  his  shoulder,  however, 
with  apparent  curiosity  at  the  handsome  car  and  its 
smartly  dressed  occupants. 

"I  wonder  if  you  could  tell  us,"  said  Wilfrid  to  the 
storekeeper,  "how  we  must  go  to  get  to  a  place  owned  by  a 
man  called  Bolton.  We  were  told  it  was  about  four 
miles  east  of  Portlake." 

"That's  quite  right,"  the  man  replied;  "but  I  don't 
exactly  know  myself  just  where  you  have  to  turn  off  the 
main  road.  I  think  you  have  to  go  about  three  miles 
first.  That's  Bolton's  boy  that  just  left  here  though 
and  if  you  were  to  ask  him  he  could  tell  you  all  right.  He's 
on  his  way  home  now." 

Wilfrid  thanked  him  and  told  the  chauffeur  to  drive 
on  and  overtake  the  boy  who  had  now  started  off  up  the 
hill  at  a  sharp  canter  so  that  it  was  a  little  while  before 
the  car  was  able  to  come  alongside  of  him.  He  pulled 
up  his  horse  as  Wilfrid  called  to  him  and  the  car  was 
brought  to  a  standstill. 

"Could  you  show  us  the  way  to  Mr.  Bolton's  place,  my 
boy  ?"  asked  the  latter. 

Dick  turned  upon  them  a  face  that  was  sullen  with 
anger  and  grief.  Marjorie  had  sent  him  on  an  errand 
to  the  store  to  give  him  an  excuse  for  a  ride;  and  in  the 
delight  of  his  new  acquisition,  he  had  forgotten  all  about 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  267 

the  conversation  of  the  morning  in  which  she  had  told  him 
that  her  friends  would  come  for  her.  When  he  saw  the 
motor  drive  up  to  the  store,  however,  the  suspicion 
had  flashed  on  him  that  these  must  be  they  and  now  their 
question  made  him  sure  of  it.  They  would  take  her  away 
and  he  knew  that  she  did  not  want  to  go.  Even  the  pos- 
session of  his  pony  could  never  make  up  for  a  disaster 
like  that;  and  to  contemplate  life  without  Marjorie  was  to 
open  up  a  vista  that  looked  very  drear  and  uninviting  in- 
deed. 

"No,  I  won't  show  you  the  way  either,"  he  burst  out 
fiercely,  his  shrill  treble  keyed  a  note  or  two  higher  than 
usual ;  "you  can  find  it  yourself  if  you  want.  I  know  fine 
what  you're  after ;  but  you  can't  have  her  I  tell  you.  She 
knows  you're  coming  all  right  and  she  doesn't  want  you, 
so  you  might  as  well  go  back."  He  paused  for  a  moment 
but,  further  words  failing  him,  he  pressed  his  little  heels 
into  Puck's  sleek  sides  and  was  off  at  the  full  gallop. 

"The  little  spitfire!"  exclaimed  Lady  Angleside  for- 
getting her  dignity  in  her  astonishment;  "what  on  earth 
can  he  mean?" 

"Most  extraordinary!"  said  his  Lordship,  in  the  lazy 
drawl  that  was  habitual  to  him ;  "it  looks  as  if  our  coming 
has  been  heralded  abroad.  Anyway  we'd  better  follow 
the  youngster  as  well  as  we  can  and  if  we  can  keep  him  in 
sight,  he  shall  be  our  guide  in  spite  of  himself." 

"Funny  little  beggar,  you  know,"  said  Wilfrid  to  Pa- 
tricia. "His  voice  was  positively  shaking  with  passion. 
Marjorie  has  got  wind  of  us  somehow  and  the  little  chap 
has  constituted  himself  her  protector.  It's  a  rum  layout 
altogether.  Mother,"  he  continued,  turning  round  with  a 
grin  towards  the  back  seat,  "that's  one,  I  doubt,  that 
isn't  going  to  let  you  have  all  your  own  way." 


268  TKe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

i 

Lady  Angleside's  aristocratic  nose  quivered.  She  drew 
herself  back  but  she  uttered  not  a  word;  and  the  rest 
kept  a  judicious  silence  as  the  car  sped  on  in  the  wake 
of  the  flying  horseman. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

"Beshrew  me,  but  my  wives  jestes  grow  too  bitter; 
Plainer  speeches  for  her  were  more  fitter: 
Malice  lies  inbowelled  in  her  tongue, 
And  new  hatcht  hate  makes  every  jest  a  wrong." 

HENEY  POETEB — Old  Play. 

MARJOBIE  was  sitting  with  Mrs.  Bolton  in  the  sitting 
room  when  Dick  came  bursting  in,  in  a  state  of  wild 
excitement,  to  announce  the  approach  of  the  party  in 
the  automobile.  She  had  confided  to  her  old  nurse  the 
full  story  of  her  adventures  in  Vancouver  and  her  ex- 
pectation that  Lord  and  Lady  Angleside  would  be  calling 
upon  them  before  the  day  was  out,  and  they  had  just  been 
discussing  the  problem  that  the  situation  presented.  Mar- 
jorie found  a  certain  amount  of  relief  in  telling  her 
troubles  to  the  older  woman  who  in  her  childhood  had 
shown  her  all  a  mother's  care.  The  latter,  herself,  was 
greatly  disturbed  not  only  out  of  sympathy  for  the  girl 
but  for  more  selfish  considerations  as,  since  her  coming, 
she  had  learned  to  depend  upon  her  completely,  sickness 
having  incapacitated  her  from  her  household  duties.  To 
lose  Marjorie  at  the  present  time  before  she  had  fully  re- 
covered her  health  would  be  a  very  serious  consideration. 
/Besides  this,  however,  she  was  filled  with  consternation  at 
the  prospect  of  facing  Lady  Angleside  while  filling  the 
role  of  one  who  had  given  shelter  to  the  runaway.  True 
enough,  she  was  no  longer  in  her  Ladyship's  employ  but 
for  years  she  had  been,  and  had  learned  to  quail  before 
her  frown.  The  old  terror  she  found,  even  after  all  these 
years,  was  quick  of  revival. 

Marjorie,  however,  was  quite  cool  and  collected  albeit 

269 


270  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

a  trifle  pale;  and  to  quiet  Dicky's  excitement,  sKe  sent 
him  out  to  stable  his  horse.  In  a  minute  or  two  they  heard 
the  auto  come  to  a  stand  outside  and  a  knock  came  to  the 
door,  not  a  shy  or  a  retiring  knock  but  a  peremptory 
knock  that  would  admit  of  no  delay.  Mrs.  Bolton  opened 
it  to  disclose  Lady  Angleside  with  Lord  Angleside  in  her 
rear,  the  former  with  eyes  alert  and  eager  and  head  thrown 
back  like  a  falcon  about  to  strike  and  the  latter  with  an 
air  apologetic  and  plainly  profoundly  uncomfortable. 

"So  it  was  you  after  all,  Smithers?"  she  said  grimly 
after  a  moment's  pause  in  which  her  keen  eyes  seemed  to 
pierce  through  the  shrinking  woman  before  her.  Smith- 
ers had  been  Mrs.  Bolton's  maiden  name. 

"Will  your  Ladyship  be  pleased  to  enter?"  said  the 
latter,  rallying  her  scattered  faculties;  "and  your  Lord- 
ship ?"  she  added,  making  an  attempt  at  a  courtesy  to  the 
latter  who  had  followed  his  spouse  into  the  room. 

"How  d'ye  do?"  he  began  and  was  about  to  say  more 
when  his  wife  stopped  him  with  a  warning  frown.  He 
subsided  at  once  into  the  chair  placed  for  him,  taking  no 
notice  of  his  ward  who  had  risen  to  her  feet  on  their  en- 
try. This  was  a  matter  that  had  to  be  fought  out  between 
the  women  themselves  he  told  himself;  and  he  felt  ag- 
grieved that  his  wife  had  considered  it  necessary  that  he 
should  be  dragged  in  to  look  on  at  the  distressing  spec- 
tacle. It  went  to  his  heart  to  have  to  treat  his  ward  so 
coldly  even  in  spite  of  the  way  she  had  left  them;  but 
to  recognise  the  culprit  by  any  show  of  kindliness  under 
the  eyes  of  his  wife  was  something  that  was  altogether 
too  much  for  his  hardihood.  His  was  a  humiliating  part ; 
but  he  had  played  it  before  and  it  had  now  lost  some  of 
its  bitterness. 

Lady  Angleside  refused  to  sit  down  but  stood  staring 
at  Marjorie,  who  had  risen  and  was  standing  with  her 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  271 

back  to  the  wall  of  the  little  room,  her  face  very  pale  and 
tense  as  she  waited  to  see  what  her  Ladyship's  attitude 
would  be  towards  her.  She  was  ready  to  greet  her  af- 
fectionately if  only  she  was  allowed;  but  she  had  enough 
spirit  to  resist  any  attempt  to  treat  her  as  a  wrong-doer. 
She  felt  justified  in  the  course  she  had  taken;  and  al- 
though her  heart  was  beating  fast  with  nervousness  and 
she  was  half  sick  with  depression  and  distaste  for  the 
ordeal  before  her,  she  still  held  a  brave  front  ready  alike 
for  either  kindness  or  contumely.  Her  Ladyship's  first 
words,  however,  were  not  such  as  to  reassure  her. 

"Well,  young  woman,"  she  boomed  out  in  her  most 
scathing  tones;  "what  have  you  got  to  say  for  yourself, 
eh?  A  pretty  dance  you  have  led  us  all,  haven't  you?" 

She  was  a  tall  woman  of  a  goodly  girth  and  with  her 
big  motor  cloak  and  high  black  bonnet  with  its  nodding 
plumes,  she  seemed  to  tower  above  Marjorie  with  her 
slim,  girlish  figure  in  its  simple  white  muslin.  Hi3 
Lordship,  glancing  askance  at  the  pair,  could  not  help 
comparing  them,  from  recollections  of  cocking  mains 
enjoyed  in  his  youth,  to  a  pair  of  roosters  as  he  had  seen 
them,  an  old  bird  fully  developed  in  all  the  pride  of  his 
strength  pitted  against  some  delicate-limbed  cockerel, 
graceful  and  lissome,  full  of  pluck  and  fire  but  without  the 
weight  and  the  muscle  of  his  antagonist.  Marjorie,  for 
all  her  inward  tumult,  now  wore  an  air  of  defiance  that 
was  as  fuel  to  the  elder  woman's  rage.  When  she  spoke, 
her  voice  trembled  but  it  was  not  with  fear. 

"Why  have  you  followed  me  then  ?"  she  asked.  "I  have 
been  happy  here." 

Her  Ladyship  smiled  a  bitter  smile. 

"Happy !  I  daresay,"  she  said  ironically  looking  round 
at  the  humble  room  with  a  glance  of  scorn,  "but  if  so,  it 
is  all  the  more  shame  to  you.  How  dare  you  bring  us  all 


272  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

to  shame  with  your  disgraceful  conduct?  How  dare  you 
play  fast  and  loose  with  my  son,  Wilfrid,  who  worshipped 
the  very  ground  you  walked  on  ?" 

"I  was  sorry  about  Wilfrid,"  said  Marjorie;  "but  I 
could  not  help  it.  You  should  not  have  tried  to  make  me 
marry  him  when  I  didn't  want  to.  He  never  made  love 
to  me  anyhow ;  and  I  felt  sure  he  would  soon  get  over  my 
going  away." 

"Never  was  in  love  with  you !"  her  Ladyship  exclaimed 
in  a  burst  of  wrath.  "Pray  did  you  expect  him  to  hug 
you  like  a  village  wench  ?  I  never  heard  of  such  talk.  To 
think  that  after  all  we  had  done  for  you — treated  you 
like  our  own  child — that  you  should  bring  upon  us  all 
this  scandal  and  disgrace.  The  wedding  actually  an- 
nounced and  the  gifts  coming  in  and  all  that,  and  to  run 
off  like  a — like  a — like  a  factory-girl,"  she  eoncluded  some- 
what lamely  after  pausing  in  vain  to  find  a  comparison 
that  would  do  justice  to  her  contempt. 

"Tut,  tut,  Sophy,"  said  his  Lordship  in  his  leisurely 
manner,  feeling  it  impossible  to  remain  silent  any  longer ; 
"you'll  never  do  any  good  by  carrying  on  this  way.  The 
fact  is,  Marjorie,"  he  said,  looking  for  the  first  time  at 
his  ward,  "we're  willing  to  let  bygones  be  bygones  if  you'll 
come  along  home  with  us.  We  know  that  young  girls  are 
apt  to  be  a  bit  er — er — well,  flighty,  we'll  say — kick  over 
the  traces,  you  know — and  all  that,  before  they  settle  down. 
Wilfrid  doesn't  bear  you  any  grudge,  you  know,  and  he's 
out  in  the  car  now.  Your  Aunt's  a  bit  severe,  of  course ; 
but  she  doesn't  really  mean  it,  I'm  sure." 

Her  Ladyship  had  stared  at  her  husband  during  this 
speech,  mute  with  astonishment  and  resentment. 

"Indeed,  then,  Reginald,  I  mean  every  word  of  it,"  she 
burst  out,  "and  I  can  tell  you  that  unless  my  young 
lady  here  displays  a  very  different  temper,  she  doesn't 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  273 

go  home  with  me  or  have  anything  more  to  do  with  my 
son.  She  can  stay  with  Smithers  till  Doomsday  if  she 
likes."  Here  she  turned  the  vials  of  her  wrath  upon  poor 
Mrs.  Bolton  who  had  been  standing  trembling  with  fear 
during  this  harangue.  "And  what  right  had  you,  I 
should  like  to  know,"  she  burst  out  with  withering  scorn, 
"to  receive  a  runaway  from  my  house — a  minor  if  you 
please,  too — and  give  her  countenance  in  her  wrong- 
doing when  you  should  have  sent  her  back  to  me  at  once. 
I  could  have  you  put  in  gaol  for  it,  and  I've  a  mind  to, 
I  tell  you;"  and  she  glared  fiercely  at  the  poor  woman, 
who  was  terrified  by  the  outburst. 

"Never  you  mind  her,  Nursie,"  said  Marjorie  running 
to  her  side  and  putting  her  arm  protectingly  around  the 
older  woman;  "she  shan't  do  anything  to  you." 

"Indeed,  then,  my  Lady,"  said  Mrs.  Bolton,  her  cour- 
age coming  back  to  her ;  "I'm  sure  I  meant  no  harm,  but 
I'd  do  it  again  if  the  child  were  to  come  to  me  that  way; 
for  I'm  sure  she's  as  dear  to  me  as  she  is  to  you.  Many^s 
the  time  that  I  have  sat  by  her  when  she  was  sick  and 
comforted  her;  and  me  just  a  girl  myself  at  the  time. 
Heal  homesick  I  was  when  I  first  came  to  the  Hall  and 
it  was  just  a  comfort  to  me  when  the  little  girl,  as  she 
then  was,  was  given  me  to  take  care  of.  Now,  my  Lady, 
I  love  her  just  as  much  as  I  do  my  own  little  Dick  an* 
that's  saying  a  mighty  good  deal  I'm  thinking.  We  poor 
folks  has  hearts  just  as  much  as  you  rich  folks — aye  more 
I  may  well  say,"  she  said  defiantly,  gathering  courage 
as  she  went  on,  "an'  do  you  think  that  I  was  going  to 
turn  her  out  when  she  came  to  me  in  her  trouble?" 

"Reginald,  will  you  order  this  impertinent  creature 
from  the  room?  It  shows  what  this  vaunted  democratic 
spirit  does  for  our  servant  classes  when  they  come  out 
here,"  said  her  Ladyship,  lowering  her  lorgnette  through 


274  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

which  she  had  been  regarding  Mrs.  Bolton,  while  the  lat* 
ter  was  speaking,  as  if  she  was  some  natural  curiosity. 
"I  did  not  come  here  to  be  insulted." 

"I  hardly  see  how  I  can  do  that,  Sophy,"  said  his 
Lordship,  with  some  show  of  irritation,  "seeing  it's  the 
woman's  own  house.  I  don't  very  well  see  how  she 
could  have  acted  otherwise — except,  of  course,"  he  added, 
"that  she  ought  to  have  let  us  know  that  Marjorie  was 
here." 

"That's  right,  of  course;  take  the  woman's  part.  It's 
just  like  you;  and  I  suppose  you'll  be  saying  the  girl 
was  in  the  right  too,"  she  snapped  out  angrily,  throw- 
ing herself  into  a  chair. 

"No,  I  won't  go  so  far  as  that,  you  know,"  was  the 
reply  in  a  tone  of  apology;  "but  I  always  think  it  is  a 
mistake  to  try  to  make  a  match  by  force.  You  can  lead 
a  maid — ah,  to  the  brink — to  the  brink  of  matrimony, 
you  know,  but  you  can't  always  make  her  jump.  I  often 
.thought  Marjorie  might  turn  out — ah,  a  bit  skittish  if  you 
didn't,  ah — rein  her  with  a  light  hand  on  the  bridle"; 
and  his  Lordship  gave  a  near  approach  to  a  chuckle  but 
sobered  instantly  as  he  saw  the  storm  deepening  on  the 
face  of  his  lady. 

"I  wish  you  would  not  use  these  vulgar,  horsey  meta- 
phors," she  said  acidly ;  "and  since  you  will  not  make  this 
woman  retire  I'll  have  to  do  it  myself.  Marjorie  must 
settle  this  matter  with  me  now  once  and  for  all,  so  you 
might  as  well  go,  Smithers." 

"  'Deed,  my  Lady,  I'd  be  only  too  pleased  to  make  my- 
self scarce  if  I  saw  you  were  kindly  to  the  poor  girl,"  said 
Mrs.  Bolton  with  some  spirit;  "but  leave  her  alone  to 
be  tormented  I  simply  will  not,"  and,  folding  her  arms, 
she  stared  back  defiantly  at  her  former  mistress,  her  awe 
swallowed  up  in  her  championship. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  275 

"Hoity,  toity,  madam,  you  needn't  take  that  line  with 
me,"  said  her  Ladyship,  now  white  with  wrath.  "You 
think  she  has  money  and  that  you'll  come  in  for  a  share 
of  it.  You're  vastly  mistaken  though,  for,  unless  she  be- 
haves herself  and  comes  hack  with  me  now,  I'll  see  that 
she  doesn't  get  a  penny  of  it — not  one  penny,"  she  re- 
peated emphatically,  punctuating  the  words  by  rapping 
on  the  table  with  her  knuckles.  "What's  that  boy  doing 
here  ?"  she  snapped  out,  pointing  to  Dick,  who  had  slipped 
in  unnoticed  and  was  standing  in  the  doorway  to  the 
kitchen,  his  little  face  white  with  fear  as  he  listened  to 
the  high  words  that  were  passing  and  saw  that  both  his 
mother  and  Marjorie  seemed  to  be  the  objects  of  them. 

"Dick,  leave  the  room  immediately,"  said  his  mother 
speaking  sharply  in  her  state  of  nervous  excitement ;  "how 
dare  you  come  in  when  there  are  visitors  present !" 

"It  simply  amounts  to  this,  Marjorie,"  Lady  Angleside 
continued  as  soon  as  the  boy  had  vanished,  "since  it's 
evident  that  we  are  not  to  have  a  chance  to  talk  this  mat- 
ter over  in  private,  that  you  must  make  your  choice  now. 
Either  you  must  come  home  with  us — and  Wilfrid  is  out 
in  the  car  willing  to  take  you  back  in  spite  of  the  way  he 
has  been  treated,  poor  boy, — or  you  must  stay  here  with 
Bolton  for  good.  But  if  you  have  a  conscience  it  should 
sting  you  for  making  shipwreck  of  a  good  man's  love," 
she  concluded  with  a  touch  of  pathos. 

"If  Wilfrid  is  so  broken-hearted  why  doesn't  he  come 
in  and  tell  me  himself?"  said  Marjorie;  and  she  moved 
over  to  the  side  of  the  room  where  she  could  see  out  the 
window.  "He  doesn't  seem  to  be  fretting  very  much  at 
present,"  she  said  significantly  after  a  hasty  glance. 
"Who  is  the  girl  sitting  beside  him,  by  the  way?"  she 
asked  with  apparent  innocence. 


276  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Lady  Angleside  frowned  and  bit  her  lip.  It  was  just 
like  Wilfrid  to  spoil  all  the  effect  of  her  oratory. 

"I  would  not  allow  him  to  conie  in  until  I  learned, 
whether  you  would  prove  amenable  to  reason/'  she  replied 
sternly.  "I  see  it  is  useless  to  look  for  any  obedience  or 
proper  feeling  in  you,  however.  One  might  have  expected 
some  slight  sense  of  your  duty  after  all  we  have  done  for 
you." 

"I  think  Wilfrid  might  have  come  in  to  see  me  at  least," 
Marjorie  burst  out,  her  mood  softening  at  once  at  the 
reproach.  "I  don't  want  to  seem  undutiful,  Auntie,  but 
I  can't  go  back  unless  you  give  up  the  idea  of  this  mar- 
riage to  Wilfrid.  We  wouldn't  be  happy  together." 

"That's  all  nonsense!  Why  you  were  made  for  each 
other;  and  a  better-natured  boy  than  Wilfrid  would  be 
hard  to  find.  If  you  knew  what  some  men  are  like,"  she 
went  on  darkly,  "you,  perhaps,  wouldn't  be  so  particular. 
But  there  is  no  need  to  prolong  the  discussion  any  farther, 
so  say  what  you  are  going  to  do." 

Marjorie  looked  a  moment  into  the  cold,  grey  eyes 
fixed  implacably  upon  her  and  at  the  thin  lips  pressed 
obstinately  together;  she  looked  at  Lord  Angleside  who 
sat  with  his  arm  over  the  chairback  playing  with  his 
gloves.  He  was  evidently  uneasy.  She  felt  that  his  pose 
was  not  hostile  at  least ;  but  she  longed  for  a  word  or  two 
of  kindness  from  him.  It  cut  her  to  the  heart  to  be 
treated  so  coldly  by  them  all;  and  just  a  word  would 
have  brought  her  to  him  in  tears,  if  not  of  repentance, 
at  least  of  affection  and  sorrow.  But  the  word  did  not 
come.  She  looked  again  out  of  the  window  and  saw  Wil- 
frid apparently  chatting  away  gaily  with  the  girl  beside 
him.  This  last  decided  her  and  her  mouth  set  in  lines 
of  determination. 

"No^  Auntie/'  she  said;  "I  cannot  go  with  you  on  the 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  277 

condition  you  would  require — I  cannot,"  she  repeated 
passionately  but  in  tones  of  weariness  and  dejection.  "I 
had  rather  stay  with  Bolton  here  if  she  will  let  me." 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  Lady  Angleside  rising;  "that, 
of  course,  settles  the  matter.  Come,  Reginald;"  and 
without  another  word,  she  went  to  the  door,  opened  it  her- 
self and  stalked  out.  Lord  Angleside  got  up,  too,  and 
looking  to  see  that  his  wife  was  out  of  hearing,  he  said 
in  low  tones: 

"Tut,  tut,  Marjorie,  too  bad!  But  she'll  come  round 
yet  all  right,  don't  you  worry.  You'll  see  us  again  before 
we  go  back.  Of  course,  that  was  all  nonsense,  too,  about 
not  getting  your  money.  Neither  she  nor  I  have  any 
power  over  that  except  to  look  after  it  till  you  are  of 
age.  I'll  send  you  a  draft  as  soon  as  I  get  back.  Don't 
worry  now,  there's  a  good  child;  it'll  come  all  right  yet. 
Yes,  coming,  my  dear,  coming  at  once,"  he  called  out  as 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand  that  took  in  both  his  ward  and 
Mrs.  Bolton,  he  hurried  off  after  the  motor. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


When  in  disgrace  with  Fortune  and  men's  eyes, 
I  all  alone  beweepe  my  outcast  state. 

SHAKESPEARE. 

IT  was  with,  a  feeling  of  heart-sickness  and  despair 
that  Marjorie  listened  to  the  sound  of  the  motor  as  it 
died  away  amongst  the  trees  carrying  off  those  who  had 
been  her  own  people  ever  since  she  could  remember.  They 
were  leaving  her  in  anger  and  it  might  well  be  that  the 
breach  would  never  be  healed;  and  justify  herself  as  she 
might,  she  could  not  get  rid  of  the  feeling  that  she  was 
perhaps  at  fault.  Lady  Angleside's  words,  no  matter  how 
unfair  Marjorie  had  felt  them  to  be  at  the  time,  remained 
to  rankle  and  to  sting.  She  felt,  however,  that  it  would 
never  do  to  let  Mrs.  Bolton  see  her  depression,  so  she 
mustered  as  cheerful  a  face  as  she  could  and  did  her  best 
to  assume  her  normal  manner.  The  older  woman,  even 
in  spite  of  Marjorie's  apparent  unconcern,  was  almost 
inconsolable;  and  the  latter  had  difficulty  in  rallying  her 
out  of  the  nervousness  and  depression  into  which  Lady 
Angleside's  visit  had  thrown  her.  This  yielded,  finally, 
however,  to  Marjorie's  cheery  persuasion  and  after  the 
midday  meal  was  over,  she  consented  to  lie  down  and  sleep 
for  a  while. 

This  left  the  girl  free  to  indulge  her  own  sorrow  except 
for  Dick,  whose  clear  eyes  had  refused  to  be  deluded  by 
her  counterfeit  cheerfulness.  He  knew  her  too  well  not  to 
see  by  several  little  signs  of  voice  and  manner  that  the 

278 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  279 

scene  of  the  morning  had  not  passed  over  her  so  lightly 
as  her  manner  would  indicate.  Besides,  had  he  not  heard 
those  terrible  words  that  the  angry,  old  lady  had  spoken 
before  he  had  been  ignominiously  sent  away,  words  that 
threatened  not  only  banishment  for  Marjorie,  but  the  loss 
of  all  her  fortune  as  well.  Selfish  considerations  as  to 
whether  Marjorie  was  to  go  or  stay  had  been  forgotten; 
and  the  boy's  loyal  heart  held  now  only  one  feeling  which 
was  that  of  concern  for  her  whom  he  loved  and  who 
would  now  be  no  princess  at  all  but  merely  a  beggar  maid 
if  the  old  lady  carried  out  her  threat.  Dick  was  con- 
vinced from  what  he  had  seen  of  her  that  she  would.  Mar- 
jorie had,  therefore,  been  conscious  of  the  boy's  hazel 
eyes  following  her  anxiously  everywhere.  They  were 
like  those  of  some  faithful  dog  that  senses  its  master's 
calamity,  awaiting  the  first  opportunity  to  fawn  on  and 
comfort  him  wherever  he  goes.  So  to  get  rid  of  him  she 
retired  to  her  bedroom ;  but  finding  the  confinement  of  the 
house  unbearable,  instead  of  remaining  there  she  jumped 
out  of  the  little  low  window  and  was  soon  walking  quickly 
but  noiselessly  down  the  shady  trail  that  led  to  the  creek. 
There  was  a  little  natural  bower  on  a  level  shelf  of 
mossy  sward  cut  into  the  bank,  which  looked  right  out 
upon  the  falls,  that  Dick  and  she  had  discovered.  On  all 
but  the  creek  side,  it  was  surrounded  by  a  close  curtain 
of  vines  above  the  earthen  walls  that  were  tapestried 
thick  with  five-fingered  ferns ;  and  it  was  an  ideal  retreat, 
cool  and  fragrant  on  a  warm,  summer  day,  in  which  to 
while  away  an  hour  or  two  in  reading  or  reflection.  Mar- 
jorie loved  to  sit  in  it  whether  in  company  with  Dick  or 
alone  with  a  book  and  listen  to  the  never-ceasing  thunder 
of  the  falls.  It  was  here  that  she  fled  almost  instinctively 
to  be  alone  with  her  unhappiness ;  and  once  secure  within 
its  shady  solitude,  her  pent-up  feelings  overwhelmed  her 


280  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

and,  casting  herself  down  prone  on  the  mossy  floor,  she 
gave  way  to  a  paroxysm  of  sobbing. 

However,  she  had  not  escaped  the  watchfulness  of  the 
faithful  Dick  as  she  had  fondly  imagined.  An  admirer 
and  imitator  of  the  methods  of  the  Deerslayer  was  not  to 
be  so  easily  eluded  as  that ;  and  Dick  had  followed  her  at 
a  safe  distance  taking  cover  with  all  the  skill  of  a  redskin 
in  a  story-book.  He  had  heard  of  people  making  away 
with  themselves  from  grief  and  he  was  resolved  that  he 
would  not  let  Marjorie  out  of  his  sight  until  at  least  the 
first  shock  of  hers  was  past.  He  would  stalk  her  cau- 
tiously, he  told  himself  and  then  discover  himself  to  her 
with  an  Indian  war-whoop.  This,  he  argued,  would  un- 
doubtedly tend  to  cheer  her,  for  Marjorie  was  always 
ready  to  enter  into  the  fun  of  the  game. 

So  he  watched  her  trip  lightly  down  the  earthen  steps 
that  he  had  hewn  out  of  the  bank  with  his  hatchet  and 
reinforced  with  spars  of  vine  maple ;  and  then  he  crawled 
noiselessly  after  her.  He  did  this  noiselessly,  from  in- 
stinct rather  than  necessity,  for  the  roar  of  the  waters 
would  have  drowned  almost  any  sound  less  than  a  cannon 
shot. 

But  when  at  last  he  was  close  enough  to  see  Marjorie 
stretched  out  upon  the  ground,  her  face  hidden  in  her 
hands  and  her  limp  figure  quivering  with  the  violence  of 
her  sobs,  all  thought  of  the  game  vanished  before  this 
visible  evidence  of  her  distress.  It  was  brought  home  to 
him  perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  his  short  existence,  the 
helplessness  of  the  mere  male  before  a  woman  in  tears. 
He  felt  now  that  he  had  done  wrong  to  follow,  that  he  had 
intruded  on  something  sacred,  something  that  it  was 
not  for  him  to  see ;  and  he  fled,  discomfited  and  ashamed. 

As  he  sped  down  the  trail  along  the  creek  hardly  know- 
ing whither  he  went,  he  suddenly  came  upon  Keith,  sit- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  281 

ting  on  a  mossy  log  beside  the  stream  with  his  fishing  rod 
on  the  ground  beside  him,  and  Csesar  lying  at  his  feet 

"Whither  away  looking  so  woebegone,  Sir  Knight  of 
the  Rueful  Countenance  ?"  Keith  called  out  with  a  smile. 

Dick  smiled  back,  a  wan,  little  smile  and  went  to  sit 
down  beside  Caesar,  who  greeted  him  affectionately  by 
licking  his  cheek  and  presenting  his  paw  to  be  shaken. 
He  did  not  reply  but  gravely  shook  the  dog's  paw  and 
put  his  arm  around  him. 

"What's  the  matter,  Dick?"  pursued  Keith  struck  by 
the  boy's  evident  dejection.  "I  thought  you  would  have 
been  off  having  a  ride  on  Puck.  You  haven't  lamed  him 
or  let  him  down  already  have  you?" 

"!N"o,"  said  Dick  with  a  sudden  gleam  of  brightness 
which  at  once  died  away,  "  'tain't  that." 

"It's  not  your  Mother  sick  again,  is  it  ?" 

"No,  Mother's  all  right;  but  she's  worried  about  Mar- 
jorie  and  so  am  I." 

Keith's  heart  gave  a  leap. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter  with  Marjorie?"  he  asked; 
"she  was  all  right  this  morning." 

"Her  folks  were  here  in  a  motor  after  you  left — awful 
swells  they  are  too,"  replied  Dick  in  tones  of  awe  mingled 
with  disgust  and  dejection;  "and  they've  gone  off  and 
left  her  for  ever  and  they're  going  to  take  away  her  for- 
tune from  her." 

"What's  that  you  say,  Dick?"  said  Keith  jumping  to 
his  feet  in  his  eagerness.  "They're  to  take  away  her 
fortune!  Are  you  sure?" 

"That's  what  they  said  anyway,  for  I  was  in  and  heard 
them,"  Dick  maintained  gloomily.  "Oh,  they  are  awful 
mad  at  her." 

"But  they  couldn't  do  that  surely.  I  thought  the  money 
was  left  to  her." 


282  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Yes,  it's  true  enough  for  Marjorie's  all  broke  up  about 
it.  She's  crying  like  anything,  and  she  ain't  one  to  cry 
over  nothing." 

"Where  is  she  now,  Dick?    Is  she  at  the  house?" 

Dick  hesitated. 

"No,  she  ain't  at  the  house.  I  don't  think  I  ought  to 
tell.  It's  a  secret  between  us  two  and  nobody  else  can 
find  it." 

"But  I  should  like  to  see  her,  Dick,"  said  Keith.  "In 
fact  I  must  see  her,"  he  declared  earnestly.  "I  might 
be  able  to  comfort  her,  you  know." 

Dick's  face  brightened  a  little  but  he  shook  his  head. 

"Nobody  can  do  that  just  now,  I  guess;  she's  too 
bad.  I  think  she  wants  to  be  alone." 

"We  both  love  her,  Dick,  now  don't  we,  and  we  both 
want  to  help  her  if  we  can.  Now  I  think  maybe  I  can. 
I  have  something  important  to  say  to  her,  Dick;  and  I 
want  to  see  her." 

He  spoke  persuasively,  but  with  a  masterful  air;  and 
Dick  assented,  although  to  judge  by  his  face,  with  some 
misgivings. 

"Well,"  he  said:  "I'll  show  you.  She's  in  'Marjorie's 
Bower!'  It's  right  near  here.  It's  a  swell  place  too," 
he  boasted ;  and  his  face  became  more  hopeful.  After  all 
he  had  great  faith  in  Keith;  and  if  any  one  could  cheer 
Marjorie,  he  could,  he  told  himself. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

Fair  Iris  and  her  swain 

Were  in  a  shady  bower; 
Where  Thyrsis  long  in  vain, 

Sad  sought  the  shepherd's  hour. 

DRYDEN. 

"//  you  are  not  the  heiress  born, 

And  I,"  said  he,  "the  lawful  heir, 
We  two  will  wed  to-morrow  morn 
And  you  shall  still  be  Lady  Clare." 

TENNYSON. 

MAEJORIE  had  just  time  to  sit  up  and  hastily  compose 
her  disordered  locks  and  smooth  out  her  dress  when  Keith 
pushed  aside  the  curtain  of  bracken  and  entered  her 
sanctum.  He  had  halloed  in  warning  and  had  waited  a 
few  minutes ;  and  now,  it  was  with  fast-beating  heart  and 
much  trepidation  that  he  found  himself  gazing  down  into 
her  tear-bedimmed  eyes  which  regarded  him  with  con- 
siderable show  at  least  of  indignation.  He  hastened  to 
excuse  himself. 

"Forgive  me,  Marjorie,  for  the  interruption,"  he  said, 
using  her  Christian  name  in  his  earnestness;  "but  I  had 
something  special  to  say  to  you  that  would  not  wait." 

He  forgot  the  noise  of  the  falls,  however,  and  as  he 
spoke  low  Marjorie  heard  scarce  a  word  of  it.  She  saw 
that  he  was  speaking,  however,  and  something  in  his  ex- 
pression tended  to  dispel  her  annoyance.  She  spoke  the 
words  that  were  already  on  her  lips  all  the  same. 

"I  thought  I  would  be  private  here,"  she  said ;  "but  it 
seems  I  was  mistaken." 

The  sound  of  her  voice  was  carried  away  by  the  noise 

283 


284  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

of  the  waters.  Keith,  put  his  hand  to  his  ear  and  she  smiled 
in  spite  of  herself  as  she  saw  the  action,  and  then  he 
smiled  in  sympathy.  Her  momentary  anger  vanished  in 
that  smile,  and  she  knew  that  she  was  glad  to  see  him. 

"I  see  I  must  come  close  to  you,"  he  said  coming  nearer 
this  time,  "if  I  am  to  make  myself  heard  above  the  envi- 
ous waters,"  and  he  sat  down  beside  her.  "I  lost  what 
you  said ;  but  I  gathered  from  your  expression  that  I  was 
intruding." 

"My  face,  I  fear,  spoke  the  truth,"  said  Marjorie 
drawing  herself  ever  so  slightly  away. 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Stream  is  always  elusive,  and  if  one 
would  ever  speak  with  her,  one  must  seize  one's  opportu- 
nity when  one  has  the  chance,"  quoth  Keith  hardily  in 
her  ear. 

"When  one  is  so  presumptuous,  one  deserves  to  be  re- 
buffed," she  said  with  an  affectation  of  severity,  and  her 
face  was  still  turned  away. 

"I  had  something  very  special  to  say,  and  I  could  not 
wait  a  moment  to  say  it;  and  that  is  why  I  dared  break 
in  on  you  in  this  way." 

He  spoke  close  enough  to  her  ear  so  that,  though  his 
tone  was  low,  it  was  still  loud  enough  in  spite  of  the  roar- 
ing of  the  water.  She  was  frightened  now  and  woman- 
like she  tried  to  temporise. 

"How  did  you  find  me  ?"  she  wondered.  "That  plaguey 
Dicky "  she  began. 

"Is  an  angel  without  the  wings,"  finished  Keith ;  "and 
he  loves  you,  Marjorie,  almost  as  much  as  I  do.  Thank 
Heaven,  though,  J  have  the  start  of  him — in  years,  at 
least!" 

She  had  withdrawn  her  gaze  now  from  the  white  water 
in  front  of  them,  and  was  looking  down,  her  long  lashes 
sweeping  her  cheek  that  was  mantled  with  a  soft  flush  of 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  285 

colour.  Her  arms  were  bare  to  the  elbow,  and  her  two 
little  hands  lay  clasped  in  her  lap,  white  against  the  dark 
green  of  her  dress — it  was  the  same  she  had  worn  the  Sun- 
day afternoon  that  Keith  had  surprised  her  fishing  on 
the  log. 

"Marjorie,"  Keith  went  on  and  his  voice  that  was  not 
wont  to  fail  him  was  husky  and  his  tongue  seemed  to  have 
tied  itself  in  knots.  "I've  only  a  very  modest  income  and 
this  ranch,  that  isn't  very  profitable  as  yet  at  least,  and  I 
couldn't  keep  you  in  the  style  you've  been  accustomed  to ; 
but  I'd  work  it  twice  as  hard  if  I  had  you  to  work  for." 

He  felt  he  was  doing  it  badly  for  she  said  not  a  word ; 
and  now  her  face  was  turned  away  a  little  and  he  only 
had  a  meagre  profile.  One  hand  was  plucking  nervously 
at  her  gown  and  involuntarily  his  closed  over  it.  It  was 
not  drawn  away,  which  he  took  for  a  happy  omen. 

"I  know  it's  not  much  to  offer  you  after  what  you  have 
"been  accustomed  to,"  he  continued.  "Miss  Devereux  told 
me  at  the  hotel  last  night  that  you  were  to  be  rich,  and  that 
made  it  impossible  for  me  to  speak." 

"How  should  that  make  any  difference  ?"  said  Marjorie, 
but  without  turning  her  head. 

"Oh,  well,  one  would  not  wish  to  be  suspected  of  being 
a  fortune-hunter,  you  know,"  Keith  answered  somewhat 
at  a  loss. 

"But  I  thought  that  love  should  triumph  over  all  bar- 
riers," she  remarked. 

"Theoretically  it  should,"  he  assented;  "but,  in  prac- 
tice, it  does  not.  Happily  though  that  is  now  a  question 
of  the  abstract  and  we'd  better  leave  it  alone." 

"I  do  not  understand,"  she  faltered,  at  a  loss  to  fathom 
his  meaning.  "Is  it  any  different  now  from  last  night," 
and  her  eyes  were  on  him  gravely  questioning. 

lie  hesitated  in  some  confusion. 


286  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Well,  Dicky  just  told  me  that  you  had  lost  all  your 
fortune ;  and  so  I  came  to  you  at  once.  Do  not  send  me 
away,  Marjorie." 

Her  eyes  softened  but  she  quickly  cast  them  down  again. 
So,  he  had  come  to  her  now  that  he  thought  she  was  pen- 
niless. 

"But  did  you  never  think  a  girl  might  have  her  pride 
and  her  self-respect,  too,"  she  asked — "that  she  might 
refuse  to  give  herself  as  a  beggar,  where  she  would  have 
been  glad  to  surrender  both  herself  and  her  fortune  as 
well — always  supposing  she  did  return  your  love,"  she 
added  softly. 

"It  is  different  for  a  woman,"  said  Keith.  "If  she 
gives  her  love,  she  gives  her  all;  and  what  does  it  matter 
whether  she  has  money-bags  or  not  ?" 

"A  man  has  a  right  to  his  pride,"  she  said  a  trifle  bit- 
terly; "but  a  woman  has  none,  it  appears.  Isn't  it  a 
poor  love  that  would  baulk  at  money-bags,  no  matter  on 
which  side  they  happened  to  be?  If  I  were  t-t-to  g-g-get 
another  fortune  to-morrow,  I  suppose 

Her  'voice  had  a  catch  in  it  and  she  turned  her  head 
away  to  try  to  hide  her  emotion.  The  appeal  that  lay  in 
her  distress  was  too  strong  for  Keith  to  resist  and  he  had 
her  in  his  arms  almost  before  he  was  aware  of  it. 

"It  wouldn't  make  a  bit  of  difference,  I'd  love  you  just 
the  same,"  he  said. 

Half  an  hour  later  when  Dicky  who  had  been  watching 
near  the  entrance  to  the  bower  with  the  patient  pertinacity 
of  a  Mohawk  on  the  warpath,  saw  them  emerge,  there  was 
that  in  their  loverlike  pose  that  satisfied  him  that  his 
dearest  wish  had  come  true.  He  was  wise  enough  to  see 
that  they  had  no  need  of  his  company  so  with  a  mind 
that  was  now  at  ease,  he  dashed  off  through  the  bush  to 
saddle  Puck  for  a  ride  before  supper. 


CHAPTEK  XXXVIII 

"0  hasten  now,  my  mistress  dere," 

The  little  page  did  cry; 
"For  fast  behind  my  weary  feet 

The  foemen  hither  hie." 

OLD  BALLAD. 

THE  next  morning,  Dick,  who  had  gone  over  to  Mr. 
Leicester's  to  borrow  a  crowbar  for  his  father,  returned 
with  a  letter  for  Marjorie. 

"Guess  what  I've  got  for  you,"  he  cried  with  a  grin, 
holding  aloft  the  missive  as  she  came  out  on  the  back 
porch  in  answer  to  his  call. 

"Have  you  caught  some  trout  for  breakfast  ?"  she  asked, 
pretending  not  to  see  what  he  was  waving  although  the 
eager  sparkle  of  her  eye  and  the  blush  of  pleasure  that 
crimsoned  her  cheek,  belied  the  imposture. 

"Aw,  you  know  fine,"  he  protested ;  "but  I  ain't  goin'  to 
give  it  to  you  if  you  can't  guess,"  and  the  letter  was 
promptly  withdrawn  behind  his  back. 

The  dire  threat  was  effective  and  Marjorie  capitulated 
at  once. 

l  "Oh,  I'll  be  good,  Dicky,"  she  said  cajolingly ;  "I  know 
what  it  is.  It's  a  letter  from  Mr.  Leicester.  Give  it  to 
me,  do,  there's  a  good  boy." 

"Say,  Marjorie,  promise  not  to  be  offended  and  I'll 
tell  you  what  he  called  me.  I've  got  a  new  name  now." 

"What  is  it,  Dicky?"  she  asked  impatiently. 

"Ah,  but  you  must  promise  though." 

"But  I  do!"  she  assured  him. 

287 


288  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Sure,  though  ?"  he  persisted ;  "  'cos  mind,  I  ain't  goin' 
to  run  any  risks." 

"Cross  my  heart,  hope  to  die!"  she  asseverated  sol- 
emnly. 

"(I'm  Mercuree,"  he  said  proudly,  "  'cos  I'm  to  carry 
the  messages  of  the  gods — that's  between  him  and  you. 
He  says  I  must  take  the  invis'ble  wings  off  my  shoulders 
an'  put  'em  on  my  feet.  That's  to  make  me  run  fast; 
and  he  gave  me  a  quarter,"  he  added  joyfully,  coming 
down  on  a  sudden  from  the  fanciful  to  the  real.  "Say," 
he  went  on  coaxingly,  "d'ye  think  Mother  would  let  me 
ride  Puck  down  to  Portlake  for  the  mail  after  dinner  if 
I  work  most  awfully  hard?  You  ask  her,  please,  won't 
you?"  and  the  hazel  eyes  pleaded  eloquently. 

"You  don't  deserve  to  be  called  Mercury, — molasses 
would  be  fitter  I  am  thinking,"  she  scolded;  "for  here 
you've  kept  my  letter  from  me  all  this  time.  You'd 
better  hand  it  over,  young  man,  before  you  ask  for 
favours." 

This  time,  there  was  no  delay  and,  after  promising  to 
grant  his  plea,  she  fled  with  it  to  her  room  where  she 
might  read  it  in  privacy.  The  writing  was  as  follows : 

Dearest  Lady  of  High  Degree : — 

Your  humble  squire  begs  of  you  to  meet  him  at  the 
crossing  of  the  creek  at  two  this  afternoon  whence  he 
would  fain  take  you  to  see  his  humble  cottage.     He  is . 
convinced  that,  lowly  as  it  is,  your  presence  will  convert 
it  into  a  palace  of  happiness. 

Yours  counting  the  intervening  minutes, 

KEITH. 

So  it  was  that  two  o'clock  found  her  at  the  appointed 
spot.  Keith  was  there  to  meet  her;  and  they  walked  to- 
gether up  the  bank  and  through  the  orchard  to  the  garden 
that  surrounded  the  house.  It  was  a  lovely  summer 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  289 

afternoon  with  a  sky  of  cloudless  blue  and  the  air  was 
ifull  of  the  whirr  and  buzz  of  insect  life.  The  call  of 
the  cock-pheasant  sounded  out  clear  and  shrill  at  fre- 
quent intervals.  A  grouse-hen  started  almost  from  be- 
neath their  feet  with  a  great  show  of  terror,  trailing  a 
drooping  wing  to  lure  them  from  the  vicinity  of  her 
brood;  but  they  were  wrapped  up  in  each  other  and  paid 
little  heed  to  aught  else. 

"I  wanted  you  to  see  my  little  house,"  said  Keith  as 
they  came  to  the  garden  gate,  that  opened  from  the  or- 
chard into  the  garden.  "It  seems  strange  to  think  you 
have  never  been  in  it." 

"You  forget  the  night  that  I  arrived,"  she  said  mis- 
chievously, "when  you  handed  me  over  to  Mrs.  Dalrymple 
in  the  kitchen  with  such  an  air." 

"Spare  me  the  remembrance,"  he  begged.  "I  burn  with 
shame  whenever  I  think  of  it.  What  an  opportunity  I 
had  and  I  threw  it  away !  What  blind  fools  we  men  are 
apt  to  be  anyway,"  he  exclaimed  bitterly,  turning  his 
head  away  in  vexation. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  to  vex  you,"  she  said  with  quick 
contrition  when  she  saw  that  he  was  really  hurt.  Her  little 
hand  sought  his  and  as  he  clasped  it  he  turned  to  face  her 
and  drew  her  towards  him  with  a  sudden  access  of  feeling, 
looking  down  upon  her  very  tenderly. 

"My  dear,"  he  said,  "whatever  of  a  prig  I  may  have 
been  to  you,  I  shall  never  betray  the  trust  that  you  havei 
shown  in  me  now.  With  your  love  you  have  given  me 
your  all  as  well;  for  a  reconciliation  now  with  your  rela- 
tives will  be  out  of  the  question.  I  hope  I  am  not  self- 
ish in  not  wishing  for  it;  but  I  want  you  all  to  myself, 
and  I  am  jealous  of  any  who  would  want  to  share  you,  or 
to  come  between  us." 

"Keith "  she  hesitated  for  a  moment  over  the  name, 


290  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Keith,  dear,  there  is  no  one  can  come  between  us  now; 
for  I  love  you  and  you  love  me  and  the  world  outside  may 
go  as  it  will." 

Their  lips  met  in  a  kiss;  and  for  a  short  space  they 
stood  clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  forgetful  of  every- 
thing but  the  rapture  of  the  moment.  For  Marjorie, 
the  worry  and  stress  of  the  past  week  was  forgotten  and 
she  was  enjoying  the  luxury  of  feeling  that  she  had  some 
one  whom  she  loved  on  whom  she  might  lean  for  support. 
Keith,  on  the  other  hand,  was  revelling  in  the  sense  of  his 
new-found  happiness  that  had  come  to  him  so  suddenly 
after  he  had,  from  a  prompting  of  pride  or  of  duty  or  of 
both,  given  up  hope  that  she  might  be  his. 

They  passed  through  into  the  garden  and  perhaps  to 
cover  the  depth  of  his  emotions,  for  he  had  to  a  great  de- 
gree that  extreme  aversion  to  displaying  them  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  Keith  recurred  to  the 
topic  that  she  had  introduced. 

"After  all,"  he  said  with  a  chuckle,  "come  to  think  of 
it,  if  my  attitude  on  that  eventful  evening  was  that  of  a 
prig,  I  think  that  you  had  quite  the  manner  of  a  queen 
in  melodrama.  'Unhand  me,  villain,  she  hissed/ — that 
sort  of  thing  you  know.  Oh,  it  was  quite  terrible,  I  felt 
like  a  regular  Don  Juan." 

It  was  her  turn  to  wince  but  she  made  a  charming 
moue. 

"Oh,  now,  it  was  too  dark  to  see  how  I  looked  and  I 
didn't  hiss  at  all,"  she  protested.  "But  how  cross  you 
were !  You  simply  seemed  to  radiate  temper, — one  could 
almost  see  the  sparks." 

"Shakespeare  has  described  my  peaceable  disposition 
better  than  you,"  he  said  looking  at  her  quizzically: 

"  '0  MARJORIE,  you  are  yoked,  with  a  lamb, 
That  carries  anger  as  the  flint  bears  fire.'  " 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  291 

He  quoted.  "The  sparks  could  only  have  been  evoked  by 
extreme  provocation,  you  see." 

"Oh,  if  you  must  take  refuge  in  Shakespeare,  I  am 
done,"  she  laughed;  "but  what  a  beautiful,  old-fashioned 
garden  you  have." 

"I'm  so  glad  that  you  like  it,"  he  said,  becoming  seri- 
ous at  once;  "you  see  it  was  in  a  way  my  mother's  gar- 
den. She  sent  me  all  the  seeds  for  it ;  and  I  used  to  write 
her  every  week  and  tell  her  how  the  flowers  were  coming 
along.  She  had  a  plan  of  it  and  knew  where  everything 
was  growing." 

"Your  mother  is  dead,  then,  is  she  ?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  said;  "she  died  last  year.  I  have  felt 
more  lonely  since  then.  Her  weekly  letters  were  a  great 
pleasure  to  me;  and  just  the  knowing  that  some  one 
cares,  it  makes  all  the  difference." 

"I  know,"  she  sympathised.  "I  can't  think  what  I 
should  have  done  without  Dicky  when  I  first  came  out. 
I  was  so  homesick;  but  his  loving  little  ways  and  his 
frank  admiration  acted  like  a  tonic.  I  dared  not  let 
myself  mope  because  I  had  to  live  up  to  his  opinion  of 
me." 

"And  now  you  have  the  two  of  us,"  he  reminded  her. 
"I  ought  really  to  be  frightfully  jealous  of  Dicky  but  I, 
too,  have  a  great  deal  to  thank  him  for.  I  still  remember 
his  delight  when  I  first  showed  him  this  snapdragon,"  and 
he  pointed  to  a  fine  plant  of  the  old-fashioned  flower. 
"He  had  never  seen  one  before,  and  when  I  showed  him 
how  by  pressing  it  with  the  fingers,  it  would  eat  like  a 
rabbit  he  was  enraptured.  The  fresh  interest  of  a  child 
is  a  beautiful  thing." 

"It  has  been  delightful  to  me  to  see  how  he  has  simply 
absorbed  all  the  fairy  lore  and  the  mythological  stories 
that  I  have  told  him.  His  imagination  seems  to  have 


292  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"been  starved  before  I  came  and  now  he  appears  to  be  mak- 
ing up  for  lost  time.  What  do  you  think  I  caught  him 
doing  last  week  ?" 

"I  give  it  up,"  said  Keith. 

"He  had  his  father's  old  flute  and  was  trying  to  play 
Orpheus  to  the  cow." 

"And  did  the  charm  work  ?"  asked  Keith  smiling. 

"Not  at  all  and  Dick  was  very  disgusted.  He  expected 
Bossy  to  follow  him  home,  charmed  by  his  dulcet  strains. 
Instead,  there  she  stood  chewing  her  cud  and  regarding 
him  with  a  gaze  of  mild  speculation  and  wonder  and 
that  was  all.  She  watched  him  backing  away  from  her 
with  perfect  indifference  and  soon  turned  to  her  browsing 
again. 

"  'Of  course,  Orpheus  was  an  extra  fine  player,'  he 
said  later  in  explanation.  'I  guess  Bossy  might  have  come 
for  him  but  she  could  hardly  be  expected  to  come  for  my 
tootling.'  " 

They  walked  round  and  inspected  the  sweet  peas,  col- 
umbines and  Canterbury  bells  and  all  the  other  fine  old 
favourites  that  filled  the  air  with  fragrance,  and  the 
beautiful  climbing  roses  that  covered  the  veranda.  The 
house,  which  was  of  one  story,  stood  on  the  brow  of  the 
elope  and  overlooked  the  apple  orchard  which,  covering 
twenty  acres  or  more,  fell  away  gradually  towards  the 
creek  canyon.  Beyond,  the  alders  formed  a  light  green 
curtain  against  the  darker  hue  of  the  firs  and  cedars  and 
the  blue  mountain  range  in  the  distance. 

The  room  into  which  Keith  led  Marjorie  lay  on  the 
right  of  the  hall,  and  the  girl  looked  around  it  with  in- 
terest as  she  sank  into  a  big,  leather  Morris-chair  by  the 
side  of  the  fireplace.  The  walls  were  finished  with  the 
natural  cedar  and  were  covered  with  pictures,  photo- 
graphs and  magazine  posters  in  a  novel  but  delightful 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  293 

medley.  On  either  side  of  the  big,  brick  fireplace  were 
book-shelves  of  the  same  unvarnished  cedar  and  the  rich. 
bindings  of  the  books  lent  tone  and  colour  to  the  room. 
Above  them,  a  row  of  fine  French  prints  were  set  into 
panelling  beautifully  grained  and  varnished  over  the  nat- 
ural wood. 

"It  is  a  lovely,  homey  sort  of  place,"  said  Marjorie, 
contentedly,  "in  spite  of  its  belonging  to  a  bachelor. 
Books  and  pictures  are  the  things  that  more  than  anything 
give  individuality  to  a  room.  They  are  the  silent  wit- 
nesses to  the  owner's  spiritual  make-up,  aren't  they?"" 
She  was  contrasting  it  in  her  mind  with  Wilfrid's  at  the 
Hall,  the  walls  of  which  were  ablaze  with  chorus-girls> 
actresses  and  race-horses. 

"Yes,  I'm  rather  fond  of  it  myself,  and  it's  good  to 
find  you  like  it.  Of  course,  it  lacks  the  feminine  touch 
— but  that,"  he  declared  with  a  bow,  "is  a  defect  that  I 
hope  will  soon  be  remedied.  Until  then,  when  I  sit  here 
alone,  I  shall  be  dreaming  like  that  chap  in  the  picture 
there,"  and  he  pointed  to  a  photogravure  from  "Life," 
representing  a  young  man  leaning  back  in  an  easy  chair 
smoking  at  a  comfortable  fireside  while  in  the  vacant 
chair  opposite  is  outlined  the  shadowy  form  of  the  lady  of 
his  dreams.  "I  shall  be  dreaming  of  you  and  of  the 
time  when  you  will  be  sitting  there  for  keeps.  There  is 
no  real  reason  for  delay,  is  there  ?"  he  inquired  anxiously. 

"What  about  getting  my  guardian's  consent?"  she  re- 
turned. 

Keith's  face  fell. 

"I  thought  he  had  departed  for  good,"  he  replied; 
"and  had  cut  you  off  with  a  shilling.  The  question  has 
its  delicate  side,"  he  went  on  smiling  slyly;  "but  one 
would  like  to  know  whether  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  you  are 
still  an  infant,  or  whether  you  have  reached  that  ripe  and 


294  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

august  age  of  one-and-twenty  when  one  is  considered  fit 
to  be  entrusted  with  one's  destiny." 

"Cannot  you  tell  by  my  teeth?"  she  asked,  smiling  so 
as  to  show  a  charming,  pearly  mouthful.  "Seriously, 
though,"  she  went  on  more  soberly  and  there  was  perhaps 
a  shade  of  apprehension  in  her  tone — she  was  thinking 
of  her  inheritance — "this  is  my  twenty-first  birthday." 

Was  it  possible  that  it  might  still  come  between  them  ? 
How  would  Keith  take  it  when  he  found  out  the  truth 
about  it  ? 

"Your  birthday !  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  ?"  he  cried ; 
and  had  risen  to  attempt  a  demonstration  in  honour  of 
the  discovery  when  the  door  burst  open  with  a  bang  and 
Dicky  rushed  breathless  into  the  room,  his  eyes  wide 
open  with  excitement. 

"She's  come  after  Marjorie!  She'll  be  here  in  half 
a  minute!"  he  cried  to  Keith.  "You'd  better  run  be- 
fore she  finds  you,"  he  urged,  looking  at  Marjorie.  "The 
old  lady's  in  an  awful  temper." 

"What  are  you  talking  about,  Dick?"  said  Keith  im- 
patiently, by  no  means  pleased  to  have  his  tete-a-tete 
broken  up  so  unceremoniously  and  at  such  an  inoppor- 
tune moment.  "You  should  know  better  than  to  rush 
into  a  room  like  this." 

"It  must  be  Aunt  Sophronia,  he  means,"  Marjorie  ex- 
plained to  Keith;  "though,  how  ever  she  could  have  fol- 
lowed me  here,  I  cannot  understand." 

"Yes,  it's  her,"  Dick  nodded,  turning  from  one  to  the 
other  in  his  eagerness.  "She  left  the  motor  half-way  down 
the  hill  and  walked  up  herself — ah,  she's  the  foxy  one  all 
right;  but  I  saw  her  an'  I  made  Puck  gallop  all  the  way 
an'  caught  up  to  her  just  as  she  came  to  the  top.  She 
wa'n't  too  pleased  to  see  me  either  by  the  way  she  looked 
at  me." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  295 

"Where  is  she  now  then?"  asked  Keith  impatiently. 
This  was  a  most  unexpected  development  and  he  was  at  a 
loss  what  to  make  of  it.  Marjorie  had  gone  quite  pale 
0,nd  he  was  vexed  for  her  when  he  saw  it. 

"Ain't  I  just  goin'  to  tell  you  ?"  said  Dicky.  "I  thought 
you  were  most  likely  at  the  house  so  I  sent  her  down  to  the 
vld  scarecrow  down  the  field  there." 

"  'Is  this  where  Mr.   Leicester  lives  ?'   says  she. 

"  'Yes,  ma'am/  says  I.  'That  looks  like  him  down  there 
In  the  strawherry  patch  if  you  want  to  see  him.'  'Twasn't 
a  lie,  was  it,  'cos  it  did  look  like  you  with  your  old  coat 
Knd  hat  ?"  he  pleaded  with  cheerful  casuistry.  "  'Sides  I 
wasn't  goin'  to  have  her  catchin'  you  and  taking  you  back 
home  with  her,  was  I,  Marjorie  ?  Gee !  though,"  he  added 
with  a  grin,  "she'll  be  awful  mad." 

"Mrs.  Bolton  must  have  told  her  about  our  engagement," 
said  Marjorie  in  dismay;   "but  she  may  not  have  told 
her  that  I  am  over  here.     She  may  just  have  come  over  to — 
interview  you." 

"Well,  now  she's  here  we  may  as  well  face  the  music," 
said  Keith  cheerfully;  "at  any  rate,  she  won't  bite  us. 
You  had  better  withdraw  to  the  dining-room,"  he  sug- 
gested, rising  and  drawing  apart  the  sliding  doors  that 
opened  on  the  adjoining  room.  Marjorie  hesitated  for  a 
moment  and  was  about  to  demur;  but  there  was  a  loud 
rap  at  the  front  door  and  panic  seizing  her,  she  slipped 
through  without  another  word.  Keith  pulled  the  doors 
close  again  behind  her  and  turned  to  open  to  his  visitor. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIX 

The  baron  scanned  the  fateful  scroll, 

Then  coloured  red  with  shame; 
For  there  on  the  dishonoured  roll, 

He  read  his  daughter's  name. 

OLD  BALLAD. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  day  in  which  the  Anglesidea 
returned  from  Portlake,  they  went  out  for  a  walk  to- 
gether. Lady  Angleside  had  heen  in  a  high  state  of  tem- 
per all  day  and  her  spouse  had  proposed  the  walk  thinking 
that  it  might  do  her  good.  On  their  return  to  the  hotel, 
they  stopped  at  the  desk  to  get  their  key  before  going  to 
their  rooms.  The  clerk  was  busy  for  a  short  space  and 
while  waiting  for  him,  Lord  Angleside  took  the  opportu- 
nity of  looking  over  the  names  in  the  register  and  almost 
the  first  that  he  happened  upon  was  that  of  his  ward.  He 
could  not  repress  an  exclamation  of  surprise  at  the  sight 
of  the  familiar  signature  and  his  wife  was  soon  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  startling  discovery. 

"Why,  that's  most  extraordinary!"  she  exclaimed  look- 
ing at  the  date;  "it's  the  day  before  yesterday  and  she 
told  us  nothing  at  all  about  it.  And  there's  Mr.  Leicester's 
name  just  above  it;  that's  Patricia's  friend." 

"Very  strange,  indeed,"  said  her  husband.     "I  can't  . 
understand  it  either.    We  must  ask  the  clerk  about  this." 

The  clerk,  however,  either  could  not  or  would  not  give 
any  information  as  to  Miss  Colquhoun.  She  had  certainly 
left  the  hotel  but,  as  to  just  when,  he  was  not  prepared  to 

296 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  297 

say.  Perhaps  the  manager  would  be  able  to  give  them 
some  information  as  he  had  had  some  conversation  with! 
the  lady. 

Lord  Angleside  would  have  left  the  matter  over  until  the 
morning  but  his  wife  would  not  hear  of  it.  Was  the  man- 
ager in  and  would  he  see  them,  she  asked.  The  answer 
soon  came  back  over  the  telephone  that  he  would  and  they 
were  ushered  into  his  office.  It  was  rather  late  to  be  sure, 
but  a  title  is  a  good  passport  to  favour;  and  it  was  with 
even  more  than  his  usual  suavity  that  Mr.  Graham  re- 
ceived his  visitors. 

"Yes,  I  remember  Miss  Colquhoun  quite  well,"  he  said 
when  they  had  explained  their  errand ;  but  his  voice  had  a 
note  of  reserve  in  it.  "Is  she  a  friend  of  yours?"  he 
asked. 

He  had  formed  a  liking  for  the  girl  in  spite  of  her  un- 
ceremonious leavetaking  of  the  night  before;  and,  al- 
though appearances  were  against  her,  he  felt  by  no  means 
satisfied  even  yet  as  to  her  identity  with  the  diamond- 
thief.  Here,  in  his  visitors,  appeared  a  likely  elucidation 
of  the  mystery;  but  at  the  same  time,  it  behooved  him  to 
find  out  more  about  them  before  disclosing  what  he  knew 
of  the  young  lady. 

"Well,  as  a  matter  of  fact,"  replied  Lord  Angleside 
with  just  a  trace  of  hesitation  in  his  manner,  "she  is  my 
ward."  He  felt  the  situation  a  trifle  awkward  and  it 
went  against  the  grain  for  him  to  be  making  enquiries  of 
this  kind  from  a  stranger.  If  there  had  been  anything 
irregular  in  Marjorie's  conduct,  it  would  not  help  matters 
to  draw  the  hotel-man's  attention  to  it.  "She  has  been 
visiting  friends  in  this  country,"  he  went  on  in  explana- 
tion; "and  we  came  out  on  a  sort  of  surprise  visit,  you 
know,  to  join  her.  Naturally  it  somewhat  astonished  us 
to  see  her  name  in  the  register  as  we  had  no  idea  she  was 


298  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

in  Vancouver,  although  she  has  been  staying  not  far  from 
here." 

"Oh,  is  that  so?"  said  Mr.  Graham  laying  aside  his 
reticence  ;•  "well,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  tell  you  all  I 
know  about  the  young  lady,  especially  as  I  have  been  a 
little  worried  about  her  myself."  He  then  went  on  to 
tell  the  whole  story  of  the  detectives'  accusation,  ]\Ir. 
Leicester's  intervention  and  the  disappearance  of  both 
the  night  before. 

"At  first,  I  thought  it  must  be  an  elopement,"  he  said 
when  he  had  finished,  "as  the  pair  had  been  going  round 
seeing  the  sights  together  and  seemed  to  be  very  friendly, 
from  what  the  waiters  told  me.  However,  when  I  found 
that  Mr.  Leicester  had  left  the  hotel  alone  in  a  hired 
motor  and  had  not  taken  time  to  take  his  suit  case  with 
him,  I  decided  that  was  hardly  likely.  Probably  he  had 
found  out  about  Miss  Colquhoun's  escape  and  started  out 
to  try  to  find  her,  seeing  he  must  have  thought  he  had  a 
couple  of  thousand  dollars  at  stake." 

"It's  a  most  disgraceful  affair  altogether,"  said  Lady 
Angleside  angrily;  "and  I  think  that  you  had  no  right 
to  allow  Mr.  Leicester  to  put  any  girl  in  such  an  anoma- 
lous position." 

She  had  sat  silent  so  far  but  was  unable  to  contain  hei 
indignation  any  longer. 

Mr.  Graham  looked  at  her  a  moment  in  surprise  before 
replying. 

"Would  you  have  had  me  let  her  go  to  gaol,  madam?'' 
he  asked  sarcastically ;  "because  that  was  the  alternative." 

"All  stuff  and  nonsense,  man,"  her  Ladyship  replied. 
"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  they  could  send  a  girl  of 
Miss  Colquhoun's  position  to  gaol  on  a  trumpery  accusa- 
tion like  that.  A  likely  story  indeed!"  and  she  snorted 
in  contempt. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  299 

"You  must  remember  that  the  young  lady  refused  to 
give  any  information  as  to  her  people,  although  she  ad- 
mitted she  had  lately  come  out  from  England;  and  she 
refused  to  give  any  reference  outside  of  the  farmer  she 
was  staying  with  at  Portlake.  Then  she  thought  of  Mr. 
Leicester.  It  seems  rather  strange  that  she  should  not 
have  been  willing  to  make  known  her  relationship  to 
yourselves,  does  it  not?" 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  put  in  his  Lordship,  "there  was 
some  slight  estrangement — a  mere  misunderstanding — 
which,  however,  has  been  happily  settled,  I  am  glad  to 
say.  Miss  Colquhoun  is  all  right,  Mr.  Graham,  you  will 
be  glad  to  hear;  for  we  saw  her  at  Portlake  to-day.  The 
girl  really  went  right  home  to  the  people  she  is  staying 
with  and  all  this  mystery  was  about  nothing  at  all.  I  am 
sure  we  are  grateful  to  you,  Mr.  Graham,  for  your  kind- 
ness to  Miss  Colquhoun.  Lady  Angleside  did  not  mean 
what  she  said.  She  is  annoyed  that  Marjorie  did  not  take 
us  into  her  confidence.  The  poor  girl,  no  doubt,  was  too 
much  ashamed  of  the  whole  business." 

Lady  Angleside  allowed  herself  to  be  silenced  for  the 
nonce;  but  when  they  had  left  Mr.  Graham  and  were  in 
the  privacy  of  their  own  room,  her  tongue  became  loosened 
again  and  she  spent  the  remainder  of  the  evening  pouring 
out  the  vials  of  her  wrath  upon  the  absent  Marjorie.  Her 
husband,  at  last,  driven  to  desperation,  made  his  escape 
to  the  smoking  room. 


CHAPTEK  XL 

....  I  perceived  a  man's  glove  lying  on  the  table.     My   eyes> 
encountered  those  of  Miss  Vernon,  who  flushed  deeply. 

" It  is  one  of  my  relics,"  she  said,  with  hesitation,  replying  not 
to  my  words  but  to  my  loolcs;  "it  is  one  of  the  gloves  of  my  grand- 
father, the  original  of  the  superb  Vandyke  which  you  admire." 

SCOTT — BOB  HOY. 

LADY  ANGLESLDE  having  slept  on  the  momentous  dis- 
covery of  Marjorie's  name  in  the  hotel  register  and  the 
startling  disclosures  that  followed  it,  arose  with  her  mind 
fully  made  up  as  to  the  proper  course  for  her  to  follow. 
The  night  had  brought  counsel.  To  tell  the  truth,  she 
was  still  smarting  under  the  girl's  contumacy  in  refusing 
to  return  to  her  and  marry  Wilfrid;  and  she  felt  a  cer- 
tain grim  satisfaction  in  finding  her  in  the  wrong.  To  do 
her  justice,  however,  she  was  alarmed  by  the  apparent 
seriousness  of  the  situation;  for  the  escapade  had  been 
such  as  she  felt  boded  real  danger  to  Marjorie's  reputa- 
tion. Her  association  with  this  man  Leicester  might 
have  been  innocent  enough  but  the  circumstances  were 
certainly  such  as  to  arouse  suspicion.  Moreover,  the  lat- 
ter's  intimacy  with  Patricia  was  a  complication  that  did 
not  tend  to  improve  matters  as,  if  the  mischief  had  been 
done,  there  was  all  the  more  likelihood  of  the  scandal  be- 
coming known  at  home.  To  have  it  happen  was  bad 
enough;  but  to  have  it  noised  abroad  all  over  England, 
that  would  be  a  calamity  that  would  cause  the  whole  family 
to  suffer. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  see  Marjorie  and  find 

300 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  301 

cut  all  about  it.  With  sucli  a  whip  as  this  held  over  her 
head,  the  girl  would  surely  come  to  her  senses.  She  would 
see  the  error  of  her  ways  and  submit  without  reserve  to 
her  Ladyship's  authority.  It  was  doubtful  now  whether 
she  could  permit  Wilfrid  to  marry  her ;  but  she  would,  at 
least,  try  to  drag  her  from  the  pitfall  into  which  she  was 
tending,  if  indeed  she  had  not  already  fallen  therein. 

She  made  known  her  decision  to  Lord  Angleside  after 
breakfast  when  she  had  seen  Wilfrid  and  Patricia  safely 
off  for  the  day  to  visit  the  Capilano  Canyon.  His  Lord- 
ship, however,  for  once  was  most  contrary  and  positively 
refused  to  go  with  her  to  see  Marjorie.  He  said  that 
though,  of  course,  the  incident  was  regrettable  and  Mar- 
jorie's  conduct  had  been  to  say  the  least  unconventional, 
he,  for  one,  was  not  going  to  imagine  anything  seriously 
wrong  in  it.  Marjorie,  while  inexperienced,  had  a  fairly 
level  head — she  would  not  have  made  her  mark  at  Girton 
if  she  had  not — and  he  thought  there  was  no  real  reason  for 
alarm.  This  Leicester  seemed  a  decent  sort  of  chap ;  and, 
from  what  Graham  had  said,  had  acted  very  sensibly  in 
the  matter  and  saved  the  girl  from  an  awkward  predica- 
ment. If  he  had  got  spoony  on  her,  he,  for  one,  didn't 
blame  him;  and  his  experience  was  that  the  less  other 
people  mixed  up  in  these  affairs  of  the  heart,  the  less 
trouble  there  was  for  everybody.  The  girl  had  been  too 
much  meddled  with  already  in  his  opinion. 

He  growled  it  all  out  in  a  low  monotone  but  quite  loud 
enough  for  her  Ladyship  to  hear.  She  was  not  used  to 
opposition  from  such  a  quarter  and  it  was  all  the  more 
unpleasant  from  its  unexpectedness.  However,  it  only; 
made  her  the  more  resolved  to  carry  out  her  intentions. 

"Very  well,"  she  said,  "of  course,  if  you  don't  care 
whether  your  ward  goes  wrong  or  not,  I  can't  help  it; 
but  I  am  not  going  to  stay  silent  if  a  word  or  two  of 


302  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

counsel  and  admonition  will  save  her.  J  shall  go  right 
away  after  lunch  and,  if  you  don't  come  with  me,  you 
ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself." 

His  Lordship  was  not  to  he  persuaded,  however,  and  his 
wife  had  to  go  alone.  She  had  managed  to  get  the  same 
chauffeur  that  had  driven  them  before;  and  they  started 
away  about  noon  after  an  early  lunch.  It  was  about 
h&lf-past  two  when  the  car  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
Boltons'  cottage;  and  Mrs.  Bolton,  who  was  out  in  front 
attending  to  a  hen  with  its  brood  of  chickens,  came  for- 
ward at  once,  surprised  and  not  a  little  perturbed  by  this 
second  visitation. 

"Is  Miss  Colquhoun  at  home?"  asked  Lady  Angleside 
without  further  preliminary.  The  drive  had  been  hot 
and  tiresome  and  she  was  not  feeling  at  all  amiable. 

"JSTo,  my  Lady,  she  is  not,"  Mrs.  Bolton  replied. 

"Where  is  she  then?" 

"She  won't  be  back  for  two  or  three  hours,  I'm  afraid. 
She  went  out  walking  not  long  ago,"  said  Mrs.  Bolton. 

She  knew  that  Marjorie  had  gone  out  with  Mr.  Leices- 
ter, but  she  did  not  know  where  they  were  going.  Mar- 
jorie had  told  her  of  her  engagement  the  night  before; 
but  Mrs.  Bolton  had  no  mind  to  tell  her  Ladyship  any 
more  than  she  had  to. 

The  latter  pondered  a  moment.  She  was  provoked 
to  have  come  so  far  and  find  that  at  the  end  of  her  long 
journey,  her  wrath  must  remain  bottled  up  a  while  longer. 

"Will  you  go  and  cut  some  of  these  beautiful  flowers 
for  me  ?"  she  said  to  the  chauffeur,  pointing  to  a  clump  of 
fire-flowers  that  were  growing  nearby.  She  wanted  the 
man  out  of  the  way  and  when  he  had  gone  she  leaned 
over  the  side  of  the  car. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  this  man,  Leicester?" 
she  asked,  her  fierce,  grey  eyes  focussed  sternly  on  Mrs. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  303 

Bolton's  embarrassed  visage.  "I  find  that  Marjorie  has 
been  conducting  herself  most  disgracefully  with  him  in 
.Vancouver — most  disgracefully!"  she  repeated;  "and  I 
can  see  by  your  face,  woman,  that  you  are  privy  to  the 
fact.  You  had  better  tell  me  all  you  know  about  it  at 
once.  I'm  in  no  mood  for  trifling,  I  can  assure  you." 

Mrs.  Bolton's  distress  was  extreme.  She  did  not  know 
whether  Marjorie  would  want  her  Ladyship  to  know  about 
the  engagement. 

"I'm  sure  that — that  there  was  nothing  wrong  in — 
in  Miss  Marjorie's  conduct  or  in  Mr.  Leicester's  either, 
my  Lady.  Your  Ladyship  is  mistaken,  I  am  sure,"  she 
stammered;  but  her  hesitation  robbed  the  words  of  their 
effect.  Her  confusion  only  strengthened  Lady  Angleside's 
conviction. 

"How  dare  you  lie  to  me;  your  face  confirms  your 
guilt.  I  shall  hold  you  responsible,  too,  I  tell  you,"  she 
stormed.  "Where  does  this  man  Leicester  live  ?  If  Mai" 
jorie  is  not  here,  I  shall  go  to  see  him  and  I  shall  call  on 
my  way  back.  I  shall  find  out  the  truth  about  this  from 
somebody." 

Mrs.  Bolton  was  too  cowed  to  offer  any  further  defence 
and  with  trembling  voice,  she  described  as  well  as  she 
could  to  the  old  lady  and  the  chauffeur,  who  had  returned 
with  an  armful  of  blooms,  how  to  find  their  way.  Then, 
with  a  great  deal  of  noise  from  the  engine,  the  car  was 
backed  up  and  turned  and  was  off  again,  rocking  and  sway- 
ing on  its  springs  over  the  rough  road. 

It  was  but  a  short  twenty  minutes,  in  spite  of  their 
having  to  stop  and  enquire  their  way  more  than  once,  be- 
fore the  car  was  climbing  the  long  hill  that  led  up  to  Mr. 
Leicester's  place.  Lady  Angleside  had  it  stopped  a  short 
distance  from  the  house  and  told  the  man  to  wait  there 
for  a  little  and  then  follow  her.  It  was,  in  a  way,  a  sur- 


304  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

prise  visit  she  was  paying,  and  something  prompted  her 
that  it  was  better  to  arrive  as  quietly  as  possible.  If  this 
Leicester  got  wind  of  who  it  was  that  had  come  to  see 

.him,  he  might  easily  go  out  into  the  woods  if  he  wished 
to  evade  her. 

Her  plans  for  a  complete  surprise,  however,  miscarried 
as  we  have  learned,  because  of  Dick's  sudden  appearance 
on  the  scene  mounted  on  Puck  and  because  of  the  ruse 
that  he  adopted.  It  was  with  a  glance  of  strong  disap- 
proval that  her  Ladyship  had  levelled  her  lorgnette  upon 
the  boy,  for  she  quickly  recognised  him  for  the  urchin 
who  had  behaved  so  unmannerly  the  day  before.  She 
rarely  went  abroad  without  this  lorgnette  of  hers,  partly 
because  of  her  real  shortsightedness,  and  partly  because 
she  used  it  as  a  weapon  of  terror  by  which  to  awe  and 
unnerve  any  who  should  venture  to  dispute  her  will  or  to 
flout  her  authority.  Many  an  incipient  rebel  in  London 
drawing-rooms  had  wilted  and  drooped,  fascinated  before 

,  the  baleful  glare  of  that  gaze  like  a  bird  before  the  stare 
of  the  serpent.  So,  the  victim  was  held  helpless  until 
despatched  by  one  or  two  stinging  sentences  of  sarcasm 
or  innuendo,  for  her  Ladyship's  tongue  was  like  a  rapier, 
as  swift  and  as  deadly. 

This  was  the  first  time,  however,  that  she  had  had 
occasion  to  use  her  armoury  against  an  untutored  child  of 
the  forest ;  and  how  was  she  to  know  that  although  Dick's 
gaze  was  as  unfriendly  as  her  own,  the  flushed  and  stam- 
mering urchin  before  her  was  not  as  cowed  and  submissive 
as  he  looked,  and  that  his  wits  were  working  rapidly  and 
his  brain  was  cool  in  spite  of  his  outward  embarrassment. 

,  He  knew,  although  his  mother  did  not,  that  Marjorie  was 
to  have  gone  with  Mr.  Leicester  that  afternoon  and  was 
probably  there  in  the  house  with  him  at  that  moment ;  and 

-te  felt  instinctively  that  the  old  lady's  visit  boded  some- 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  305 

thing  sinister  for  both  of  them  and  that  it  was  desirable 
that  they  should  at  least  be  warned  of  her  approach. 

"Ah,  it's  the  Bolton  boy,  isn't  it  ?"  Lady  Angleside  re- 
marked with  a  curt  nod  of  recognition  as  she  lowered  her 
lorgnette.  "Is  this  Mr.  Leicester's  place  ?" 

"Yes,  ma'am,"  Dick  replied ;  "but — but  J  don't  think — 
he  ain't  at  home  to-day,"  he  stammered,  his  eyes  dropping 
guiltily  before  her  searching  gaze. 

"How  do  you  know?"  she  asked  sternly,  scenting  a  lie 
in  the  boy's  confusion. 

Dick  squirmed  uneasily  in  his  saddle.  He  had  been 
taught  to  tell  the  truth,  and  lying  did  not  come  natural  to 
him.  His  eye,  roving  around  in  its  avoidance  of  his  in- 
quisitor, lit  upon  the  scare-crow  down  in  the  strawberry- 
.patch  scarcely  two  hundred  yards  away;  and  his  mind 
seized  upon  it  as  a  possible  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  Sport- 
ing one  of  Mr.  Leicester's  discarded  suits  and  wearing  his 
old  felt  hat,  at  that  distance,  it  looked  not  so  unlike  him. 

"Looks  like  him  down  there  hoein'  among  the  strawber- 
ries," said  Dick  suddenly,  though  there  was  the  faintest 
twinkle  of  fun  in  the  eyes  that  had  before  been  clouded,  as 
he  pointed  to  the  scare-crow  with  its  loose  garments  flutter- 
ing faintly  in  the  breeze.  He  held  his  breath  as  the  lady's 
eyes  followed  the  direction  of  his  hand;  and  was  relieved 
when  she  seemed  to  be  satisfied  and,  without  another  word, 
stalked  off  toward  it. 

We  shall  not  follow  her.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  when  she 
had  climbed  the  somewhat  steep  ascent  again  and  had 
turned  in  to  knock  at  Mr.  Leicester's  door,  if  her  temper 
had  been  warm  before,  it  was  now  at  the  boiling  point. 
When  he  opened  the  door  to  her,  therefore,  it  was  an 
angry  lady  that  he  confronted. 

"How  do  you  do,  Lady  Angleside,"  he  greeted  herr 


306  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

taking  the  initiative  with  bland  composure.  "This  is  an 
unexpected  pleasure." 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Leicester.  I  have  called  to  ask 
,the  favour  of  a  few  words  with  you,"  was  the  reply  in 
a  frigid  tone. 

He  led  her  into  the  living-room  which  was  now  empty, 
Marjorie  having  withdrawn  to  the  dining-room  as  we 
have  seen. 

"I  have  been  round  at  the  Bolton  place  to  call  upon  my 
niece  but  found  she  was  not  at  home,"  Lady  Angleside 
began  after  a  considerable  pause,  during  which  she  leaned 
back  in  the  armchair  which  Keith  had  offered  her  and 
fanned  her  heated  face  vigorously  with  a  newspaper  which 
she  picked  up  from  the  table.  "I  thought,  perhaps,  I 
would  have  found  her  with  you,"  she  added  significantly, 
glancing  keenly  at  her  unwilling  host  who  had  sat  down 
opposite. 

"Indeed!"  the  latter  replied  in  a  tone  of  polite  but  lan- 
guid interest.  Thanks  to  Dick's  timely  warning,  he  was 
not  at  all  flustered;  and  he  was  aware  of  the  importance 
.of  keeping  cool.  He  was  convinced  that  her  Ladyship's 
purpose  was  not  a  friendly  one. 

"I  was  not  aware,"  Lady  Angleside  went  on,  "when 
we  met  you  at  the  hotel  the  other  night,  that  you  were 
acquainted  with  my  niece,  Miss  Colquhoun;  or  that  you 
had  been  compromising  her  in  the  most  shameful  way — 
in  a  way  that  no  gentleman  could  possibly  have  stooped  to 
adopt.  The  facts  only  came  to  the  knowledge  of  Lord 
Angleside  and  myself  last  night;  and  I  have  lost  no 
time,  as  you  see,  in  coming  out  here  to  try  to  save  the  mis- 
guided and  unfortunate  girl  from  any  worse  folly." 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about,  I'm  afraid, 
Lady  Angleside,"  said  Keith,  startled  out  of  his  sang  froid. 
There  was  just  enough  truth  in  the  accusation  to  make  it 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  307 

rankle  and  the  blood  rushed  to  his  face  in  spite  of  himself. 
The  knowledge  that  Marjorie  in  the  next  room  could  not 
help  hearing  all  that  was  said,  did  not  tend  to  make  hirn 
feel  any  more  comfortable. 

"Oh,  you  don't  know,  do  you  not  ?"  sneered  her  Lady- 
ship. "I  suppose  that  I  shall  have  to  tell  you  then,  shall 
I  ?  Do  you  think  it  is  an  honourable  thing  to  take  advan- 
tage of  a  young  girl's  inexperience  in  the  way  you  havo 
done  with  Marjorie.  You  find  her  in  an  awkward  posi- 
tion— of  your  own  contriving  for  all  I  know — and  you 
use  it  to  take  away  her  reputation.  She  had  no  business 
to  be  staying  alone  at  the  hotel  in  the  first  place ;  but  how 
she  could  expect  to  save  any  shreds  of  it,  eating  with  you 
in  the  public  dining-room  and,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able 
to  find  out,  going  about  all  over  the  place  in  your  com- 
pany, I  don't  know";  and  she  paused  for  sheer  lack  of 
breath.  "Whether  that  was  the  worst  of  it,  you  and  she 
know  best.  No  decent,  modest  girl  would  have  done  it 
and  no  honourable  man  would  have  allowed  her  to  do  it." 

"Miss  Colquhoun  and  I  are  engaged  to  be  married," 
said  Keith,  hoping  to  stop  the  flood  of  indignation.  He 
was  wishing  that  he  had  allowed  Marjorie  to  stay  in  tho 
room;  as  her  Ladyship  then  might  have  put  some  guard 
upon  her  words.  The  effect  of  his  announcement  was  now 
.the  opposite  of  what  he  had  hoped. 

"Oho !  so  that's  how  the  wind  sits,  is  it  ?"  she  laughed, 
scornfully.  "You've  contrived  it  so  you  think  she  has  to 
marry  you — you're  after  her  money — and  you  think  that 
Lord  Angleside  and  I  will  not  wish  to  interfere  after 
what  has  happened.  You  with  your  beggarly  shack  and 
your  miserable  bit  of  forest,"  and  she  looked  contemptu- 
ously round  the  room.  "You're  nothing  but  an  adven- 
turer, sir,  though  you  may  be  of  good  family  for  all  I 
know." 


'308  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

Keith  was  struggling  hard  to  control  his  anger.  With- 
out knowing  what  he  was  doing  he  had  reached  over  for 
a  papercutter  lying  on  the  small  tahle  beside  him,  and  was 
tracing  out  imaginary  figures  with  it  on  the  arm  of  his 
.chair.  When,  at  last,  he  spoke,  his  words  were  quiet 
and  his  voice  low  and  steady. 

"I  understood  when  I  asked  Miss  Colquhoun  to  be  my 
wife  that  she  was  penniless;  otherwise,  J  should  never 
have  done  so.  Your  remarks  have  been  most  insulting; 
but  seeing  you  are  a  woman  and  Marjorie's  aunt,  I  sup- 
pose I  must  pardon  them  as  being  the  result  of  your  solici- 
tude for  her.  I  can  assure  you  that  I  thought  that  she 
had  no  fortune." 

Lady  Angleside  could  hardly  control  herself  during 
this  speech.  To  think  that  the  culprit  that  ought  to  have 
been  cringing  before  her  should  actually  take  up  the  atti- 
tude of  the  injured  and  talk  to  her  of  pardon !  His  very 
coolness  and  the  deliberation  of  his  words  maddened  her ; 
but  she  must  not  allow  her  own  temper  to  run  away  with 
her.  She  raised  her  lorgnette  and  stared  at  Keith  for  a 
moment  or  two,  a  stare  of  insolence ;  as  if  this  were  some 
strange  freak  of  humanity  that  aroused  her  interest  and 
challenged  her  curiosity. 

"I  wonder,  what  does  the  man  take  us  for !"  she  asked 
herself  aloud.  "As  if  the  Boltons  didn't  know  all  about 
these  things.  No,  no,  Mr.  Leicester,  you  can  hardly  ex- 
pect me  to  believe  that  little  fiction — I  won't  say  'lie'  for 
that  is  a  word  that  might  insult  you  too — might  grate  on 
your  gentlemanly  sensibilities "  she  added  sarcasti- 
cally. 

Keith  turned  white  to  the  lips  with  anger  but  with  an 
effort  he  controlled  himself. 

"You  are,  of  course,  very  impertinent,  Lady  Angleside, 
,  to  talk  in  that  fashion,"  he  said  after  a  short  pause,  keeping 

-4. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  309 

Lis  voice  steady  with  difficulty ;  "but  if  that  is  your  opin- 
ion, far  be  it  from  me  to  try  to  alter  it.  It  makes  me 
jhave  the  less  scruple  about  ignoring  any  claims  that  you 
might  have  to  be  consulted  in  connection  with  my  marriage 
,to  Marjorie." 

"Hoity-toity!"  snapped  out  her  Ladyship  hardly  wait- 
ing for  him  to  finish,  "you  needn't  put  on  any  of  your 
airs  with  me,  young  man.  I  have  had  to  deal  with  people 
of  your  calibre  before.  This  true  love  business  is  all 
stuff  and  nonsense  and  you  need  not  waste  time  trying  to 
talk  to  me  about  it.  Lord  Angleside  will  never  consent 
nor  shall  I  to  your  marrying  Marjorie — she  would  simply 
be  wasting  her  life.  Fortunately,  nobody  knows  her  out 
here;  and  this  piece  of  folly  at  the  hotel,  bad  as  it  is,  is 
not  perhaps  as  calamitous  as  it  might  have  been.  When 
she  goes  back  to  England,  we  shall  treat  it  as  if  it  had 
never  occurred." 

"You  think  that  with  five  hundred  pounds  a  year  and 
this  ranch,  that  I  cannot  make  her  happy,"  said  Keith, 
drumming  lightly  with  the  fingers  of  one  hand  on  the 
arm  of  his  chair. 

"Happy,  man!"  she  almost  snorted  in  her  contempt. 
"In  a  place  like  this?  I  should  think  not.  But  all  this 
talking  brings  us  nowhere.  Don't  you  think,"  she  sug- 
gested with  a  grim  smile,  "that  seeing  she  is  here  and  I 
have  come  such  a  long  way,  it  would  be  as  well  to  ask 
Marjorie  to  join  us — she  might  have  something  to  con' 
tribute  to  the  discussion." 

"How  did  you  know?"  asked  KeitE  in  no  small  con- 
fusion. 

"Signs  like  that  are  easy  to  read,"  she  replied,  pointing 
to  a  tiny,  green  glove  that  lay  upon  the  floor  beside  her 
chair.  "Jt  can  hardly  be  a  gage  d' amour  or  you  would 
surely  keep  it  in  a  more  honourable  place." 


310  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"As  a  matter  of  fact  I  asked  her  to  withdraw  to  the 
next  room  when  I  found  that  I  had  a  visitor,"  said  Keith 
.trying  to  conceal  his  embarrassment  but  flushing  in  spite  of 
himself. 

There  was  no  reason,  however,  now,  why  the  two  should 
not  meet,  he  reflected.  It  would  put  an  end,  at  least,  to 
an  almost  intolerable  situation.  How  much  Marjorie 
must  have  heard  of  their  conversation  he  was  unable  to 
guess,  but  he  feared  the  worst.  He  hoped  that  she  would 
have  been  able  to  take  the  matter  sensibly,  but,  knowing 
her  pride  and  high  spirit,  he  had  grave  doubts.  So,  it 
-was  with  some  considerable  trepidation,  that  he  rose 
and  pulled  back  the  sliding  door.  The  dining-room  was 
empty. 

"I'm  afraid  she  is  gone,"  said  Keith  much  troubled. 

"She  must  have  overheard  what  I  said  about  her.  Well, 
it  served  her  right  and  it  was  all  true,"  Lady  Angleside 
remarked. 

Keith  paid  no  heed  to  her;  but  passed  out  into  the 
Mtchen  to  see  if  she  had  escaped  by  the  back  way  as  he 
felt  sure  that  she  could  not  have  gone  by  the  front  door 
without  his  knowing.  He  was  surprised  to  find  Lady 
Angleside's  chauffeur  seated  at  the  kitchen  table  and  en- 
.joying  a  cup  of  tea  while  Mrs.  Dalrymple  was  standing 
by  the  stove  evidently  entertaining  him  with  her  conver- 
sation. 

"Did  Miss  Colquhoun  pass  out  this  way?"  he  asked 
her,  without  stopping  to  consider  the  cause  of  the  man's 
presence  there.  Mrs.  Dalrymple  was  not  wont  to  dispense 
her  master's  hospitality  unauthorised. 

"She  went  out  just  a  minute  or  two  ago,  sir,"  she  re- 
plied, "and  she  asked  me  to  give  this  gentleman  a  cup  of 
tea."  ti 

"The  young  lady  told  me  to  come  in  herself,  sirj"  the 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  311 

man  volunteered.  "£  think  that  you  may  find  her  out- 
side there." 

Without  another  word,  Keith  passed  outside  and  looked 
all  around  but  there  was  no  Marjorie  to  be  seen.  Strange 
to  say,  there  was  no  motor  either  although,  looking  down, 
he  saw  the  marks  of  the  wheels  of  one  in  the  soft  dust  of 
the  road  where  it  seemed  to  have  been  backed  up  and 
.turned  around.  Then  he  glanced  down  the  road  and,  right 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill  nearly  a  mile  away,  he  caught  a 
fleeting  glimpse  of  a  car  as  it  turned  the  corner  to  cross 
the  bridge  and  close  behind  it,  there  followed  at  the  gal- 
lop, a  small  figure  on  a  bright  bay  horse. 

For  the  second  time  in  the  course  of  this  chronicle, 
Keith's  tongue  was  betrayed  into  an  indiscretion. 

"She's  off  with  the  old  woman's  car  and  taken  Dick 
with  her!"  he  exclaimed.  "Plague  take  her  scandalous 
tongue !  Now  if  here  isn't  the  mischief  to  pay." 


CHAPTER  XLI 

The  maid  behind  the  arras, 
She  durst  not  chuse  ~but  hear; 

And  ev'ry  harsh  envenomed  word 
Was  torture  in  her  ear. 

OLD  BALLAD. 

IT  had  been  a  great  surprise  to  Marjorie  to  hear  the 
news  of  Lady  Angleside's  return  to  the  district  after 
she  had  taken  such  an  angry  and  final  farewell  the  day 
before ;  and  her  heart  was  beating  fast  when  she  heard  the 
familiar  voice  as  Keith  ushered  the  old  lady  into  the  ad- 
joining room.  In  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  she  had 
consented  to  Keith's  suggestion  for  her  to  step  into  the 
dining-room  until  her  Ladyship  should  depart  again ;  and 
she  had  no  sooner  done  so  than  she  was  sorry  for  it.  Any- 
thing underhand  was  abhorrent  to  her  and  she  realised  at 
once  that  it  would  have  been  better  to  confront  her  Lady- 
ship at  the  first.  There  was  absolutely  nothing  wrong 
in  her  visiting  Keith;  but  the  moment  that  there  was 
any  appearance  of  concealment  of  her  being  there,  the 
fact  of  her  presence  was  open  to  misconstruction.  It  was 
too  late  now,  however,  to  rectify  the  mistake  so  she  sat 
down  in  a  chair  and  tried  to  compose  her  feelings. 

She  found  that  it  was  impossible  to  avoid  hearing  all 
that  was  said,  however ;  she  might  just  as  well  have  been 
in  the  same  room  with  them,  the  sound  of  the  voices 
travelled  so  distinctly  through  the  light  doors,  Lady  Angle- 
side's  harsh  and  resonant,  Keith's  low  but  distinct  with  his 
crisip  and  even  enunciation. 

312 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  313 

At  first,  what  she  heard  moved  her  to  indignation  but 
soon,  as  the  old  lady  warmed  to  her  subject,  that  feeling 
changed  to  one  of  horror  and  shame. 

"She  had  no  business  to  be  staying  alone  in  the  hotel 
in  the  first  place;  but  how  she  could  expect  to  save  any 
shreds  of  it,  eating  with  you  in  the  public  dining-room* 
and,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  find  out,  going  about  all 
over  the  place  in  your  company,  I  don't  know.  Whether 
that  was  the  worst  of  it,  you  and  she  know  best.  No  de~ 
cent,  modest  girl  would  have  done  it  and  no  honourable 
man  would  have  allowed  her  to  do  it.  .  .  .  You've  con- 
trived it  so  you  think  she  has  to  marry  you — you're  after 
her  money " 

The  words  burned  themselves  into  her  consciousness 
and  scarcely  knowing  what  she  was  doing  she  put  her 
hands  to  her  ears  and  rushed  out  through  the  kitchen, 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  Mrs.  Dalrymple,  who  was 
baking  bread.  She  had  been  aware  of  a  certain  Bohemian- 
ism  about  her  association  with  Keith  in  Vancouver — a 
certain  piquant  unconventionality — and  that  was  all ;  but 
Lady  Angleside's  scathing  words  of  condemnation  placed 
the  matter  in  a  totally  different  light.  In  England,  she 
had  always  been  so  shielded — her  mind  had  been  centred 
on  her  studies  at  Girton  and  her  pleasures  had  been 
mainly  such  wholesome  and  natural  diversions  as  are  com- 
mon to  English  country  life.  The  seamy  side  of  society 
and  of  the  relations  between  the  sexes  had  never  ob- 
truded themselves  on  her ;  and  with  the  back-biting,  scan- 
dal-mongering  Mrs.  Grundy  she  had  hardly  even  a  bow- 
ing acquaintance.  To  find  that  her  aunt  considered  that 
she  had  sinned  unpardonably  against  society's  unwritten 
canons,  filled  her  whole  being  with  horror  and  shame. 
The  accusation  against  Keith  that  he  had  knowingly 
enticed  her  into  this  error  in  order  that  he  might  force 


314  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

her  to  marry  him  and  so  get  her  money,  she  had  hardly 
comprehended,  the  whole  thing  had  come  upon  her  so 
suddenly.  That  fell  into  the  background  behind  the 
awful  feeling  that  she  had  disgraced  herself  by  conduct 
that,  at  the  least,  her  aunt  had  stigmatised  as  immodest 
and  unwomanly;  but  the  sinister  suggestion  of  it  re- 
mained in  her  consciousness  to  rankle  and  to  sting. 

When  she  got  outside,  the  sight  cf  the  chauffeur  sit- 
ting in  the  motor  chatting  to  Dick,  who  was  allowing 
his  pony  to  crop  the  grass  at  the  side  of  the  road,  brought 
her  to  herself  again.  The  boy  came  over  joyously  to 
speak  to  her,  anxious  to  hear  what  might  be  the  old 
lady's  mission;  but  when  he  saw  her  face,  he  realised 
quickly  that  something  terrible  had  happened. 

"Is  she  going  to  take  you  back  with  her?"  he  asked 
breathless  with  anxiety.  This  was  perhaps  the  worst  pos- 
sibility that  could  occur  to  him. 

"No,  Dicky;  it's  not  that,  anyway,"  she  said,  her  eyes 
bright  with  a  dew  of  unshed  tears  as  she  reflected  that 
here  was  one  true  heart,  at  least,  that  she  could  rely  upon 
whatever  happened.  This  stain  upon  her  honour  seemed 
to  stand  as  a  bar  between  her  and  Keith,  whether  lie  were 
true,  or  whether  he  were  false  as  her  aunt  would  make 
out.  Her  one  engrossing  desire  was  now  to  get  away 
from  them  all,  away  to  think  this  thing  over  for  her- 
self. 

The  thought  came  to  her,  too,  that  this  was  her  birth- 
day, the  day  that  she  was  to  come  of  age  when  she  would 
be  her  own  mistress.  She  would  go  back  to  Vancouver 
to  her  guardian  who,  after  his  fashion,  had  always  been 
good  to  her;  and  she  would,  at  least,  get  his  counsel  and 
advice. 

If  she  could  only  go  to  him  now  when  her  aunt  was 
away,  she  felt  that  she  could  depend  on  a  sympathetic 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  315 

reception.  As  her  eyes  fell  again  on  the  car,  a  daring 
idea  came  into  her  head  which  she  at  once  proceeded  to 
act  upon. 

"Go  in  to  Mrs.  Dalrymple,  Dick,"  she  said,  "and  tell 
her  I  said  that  she  is  to  give  the  chauffeur  a  cup  of  tea 
as  he  has  come  all  the  way  from  town.  I  shall  send  him 
in.  Then  you  come  right  back  to  me." 

The  boy  started  to  obey  without  question  and  Marjorie 
sauntered  leisurely  over  to  the  car. 

"You  must  be  thirsty  after  your  hot  ride,"  she  said  to 
the  chauffeur  with  that  air  of  kindly  charm  that  was 
innate  with  her.  "If  you  will  go  into  the  kitchen,  you 
will  get  a  cup  of  tea.  It  will  be  some  time  yet  before 
Lady  Angleside  will  be  ready." 

The  man,  nothing  loath,  touched  his  cap  and  went  to- 
wards the  house.  Dicky,  by  this  time,  had  returned  hav- 
ing delivered  his  message  to  Mrs.  Dalrymple,  who  had 
fastened  to  obey  the  young  lady's  order. 

"Dicky,"  said  Marjorie  solemnly,  "something  has  hap- 
pened that  makes  it  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  Yancouver 
this  afternoon;  and  J  am  going  to  run  away  with  Lady 
Angleside's  car.  Will  you  go  with  me,  for  I  don't  want 
to  go  alone?  I  want  you  to  go  and  be  my  knight,  you 
fcnow." 

Dick  opened  his  hazel  eyes  to  their  widest  capacity. 
This  was  something  altogether  beyond  his  comprehen- 
sion. 

"Gee !"  he  exclaimed ;  "but  who's  going  to  drive  ?  Won't 
the  old  lady  be  mad  ?" 

"I'm  going  to  drive  myself.  I've  often  driven  a  car. 
Will  you  go  with  me?" 

"Sure,  course  I  will,"  he  cried  gleefully,  proud  of  the 
honour;  but  his  face  fell  again.  "What  about  Mr. 
Leicester,  though?"  ho  asked. 


316  THe  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"Oh,  we'll  have  to  leave  him  behind,  Dick.  You 
mustn't  ask  any  questions,"  she  said  anticipating  his  eagor 
words.  "The  knight  must  be  content  to  do  as  his  lady 
bids  him,  you  know,  without  question  or  scruple.  I  want 
you  to  bring  Puck  and  get  some  one  at  the  village  to  take 
him  home  for  you  with  a  note  to  your  mother  to  let  her 
know  where  we  have  gone.  Then  you'll  come  with  me  in 
the  car  and  we'll  be  in  town  in  no  time  almost.  Get 
your  horse  now  and  follow  me  as  fast  as  you  can  because 
that  man  might  come  out  any  minute." 

Without  further  delay,  she  jumped  into  the  car  and  was 
soon  steering  it  carefully  down  the  hill  over  the  rough 
road  closely  followed  by  Dick  on  his  bay  horse.  The  mo- 
tion of  the  car  joined  with  the  close  attention  required 
to  keep  it  upon  the  road  and  the  wind  fanning  her  cheek, 
brought  momentary  surcease,  at  least,  from  the  torture 
of  her  thoughts;  and  she  felt  no  qualms  of  remorse  for1 
the  discomfiture  of  the  chauffeur  or  the  wrath  of  his 
mistress  when  they  should  discover  their  abandonment. 
As  to  the  lover  left  behind  as  well  there  was  perhaps  some 
scruple;  but  it  was  altogether  overborne  in  the  sense  of 
her  shame.  She  rejoiced  in  every  mile  that  took  her 
farther  from  him. 


CHAPTEE  XLII 

Post  equitem  sedet  atra  cura. 

HORACE. 

"7  am  quite  my  own  master,  agreeably  lodged,  perfectly  easy  in 
fivy  circumstances.  I  am,  content  with  my  situation,  and  happy  be- 
cause I  think  myself  so." 

LE  SAGE — GIL  BLAS. 

As  soon  as  Keith  realised  that  Majorie  had  fled,  he 
decided  to  follow  her,  at  once,  and  try  to  efface  the  harm 
that  had  been  done  by  Lady  Angleside's  shrewish  tongue. 
He  was  at  no  loss  to  estimate  the  girl's  state  of  mind  and 
he  felt  very  sure  that  she  had  not  taken  possession  of  the 
car  merely  to  take  her  home  to  Bolton's.  Her  impulse 
he  felt  sure  would  be  to  fly  as  far  and  as  fast  as  she  could. 
Vancouver,  therefore,  he  argued,  would  be  her  immediate 
destination;  and  it  behooved  him  to  follow  her  imme- 
diately. 

So,  taking  no  thought  of  Lady  Angleside  sitting  pa- 
tiently in  his  den,  he  rushed  off  to  the  barn  to  harness 
the  team.  Dalrymple  was  out  in  the  field  so  he  had  to 
|  do  it  alone  but  it  was  the  work  of  only  a  few  minutes ; 
and  he  was  just  driving  out  of  the  corral  gate  when  Lady 
Angleside  and  her  chauffeur  rushed  out  and  stopped  him. 
The  latter  had  soon  discovered  the  disappearance  of  his 
car  and  he  was  not  long  in  making  Lady  Angleside  ac- 
quainted with  the  news  of  it.  Straightway,  she  had 
rushed  from  the  house  like  a  whirlwind.  Her  bonnet  had 
fallen  away  in  her  excitement ;  and  her  features  showed  a 

317 


318  THe  Chivalry  of  KeitH  Leicester 

curious  mixture  of  wrath,  and  dismay  as  she  came  for- 
ward to  the  side  of  the  democrat  at  a  pace  that  was  very 
different  from  her  usual  stately  stride. 

"That  dreadful  girl  has  stolen  my  motor,"  she  gasped 
in  a  tone  of  helpless  indignation,  taking  hold  of  the  wheel 
partly  to  steady  herself  and  partly  to  prevent  Keith  from 
driving  away  from  her.  "There  seems  to  be  no  limit  to 
her  shameless  audacity." 

"You  have  yourself  to  thank,"  said  Keith  grimly.  "She 
heard  every  word  you  said,  madam,  and  to  my  mind,  it 
is  no  wonder  she  took  any  means  she  could  to  get  away 
from  you.  Will  you  kindly  let  go,  as  I  am  in  a  hurry," 
he  said  coldly  polite,  as  the  horses,  sensing  his  impatience 
through  ijie  lines,  fretted  to  be  off. 

*TKi  going  with  you,"  said  Lady  Angleside.  "Do  you 
think  I'm  going  to  be  left  alone  here?  Help  me  up, 
chauffeur,"  she  said  to  the  man  curtly. 

"You  can't  come  with  me,  madam,"  said  Keith;  "for 
I  shall  have  to  drive  very  fast,  and  it  wouldn't  be  safe 
for  you.  My  man,  Dalrymple,  will  see  that  you  are 
driven  to  the  station  somehow,  and  you  can  get  home  on 
the  train." 

"I'm  going,  I  tell  you,"  was  all  her  reply,  taking  hold 
of  the  seat  with  grim  determination  and  putting  one  foot 
on  the  hub  of  the  wheel.  The  chauffeur  gave  her  a  hoist 
from  behind,  and  Keith  could  do  no  less  than  steady  her 
as  she  mounted  beside  him.  The  chauffeur  would  have 
jumped  in  behind ;  but  the  horses  were  off  with  a  rush  and 
he  lacked  the  determination  to  make  a  run  for  it.  The 
fellow  looked  none  too  hospitable,  he  reflected,  and  while 
it  might  be  all  right  for  the  lady  to  force  her  company  on 
him,  he  himself  was  not  so  anxious  for  the  ride  as  to  do 
so.  [It  was  a  rum  business  altogether  and  he  would  have 
to  be  pretty  well  paid  for  it  all,  even  if  he  did  get  his  car 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  319 

back  again  safe  and  sound,  which  he  felt  was  more  or 
less  doubtful. 

Meanwhile,  the  horses  were  flying  down  the  hill  at  such 
a  pace  as  they  had  never  been  allowed  to  traverse  it  at 
before  and  the  wagon  bumped  and  swayed  over  the  rough 
road  in  a  manner  most  alarming,  especially  to  one  like 
Lady  Angleside  to  whom  such  roads  and  such  a  vehicle 
were  altogether  strange.  Round  the  sharp  curves  they 
went  on  the  narrow  grade,  the  hind  wheels  sliding  and 
groaning  and  seeming  to  keep  the  road  only  by  some 
strange  miracle  as  they  dashed  along.  Lady  Angleside's 
face  was  pale  but  she  held  on  fast  to  the  seat  with  the 
one  hand  and  with  the  other  she  clung  to  the  arm  of  the 
driver,  who  was  forced  to  put  forth  every  exertion  to 
keep  control  of  his  horses.  They  simply  tore  over  the 
long,  wooden  bridge  across  the  canyon  and  to  save  their 
wind,  Keith  had  to  pull  them  to  a  walk  climbing  the  steep 
ascent  on  the  other  side.  As  soon,  as  they  reached  the 
summit,  however,  he  gave  them  the  whip  again  and  they 
were  off  at  the  gallop ;  and  they  kept  this  pace  practically 
all  the  way  to  the  village.  One  of  the  rear  springs  had 
broken  in  the  first  rush  down  the  hill  and  it  rapped  con- 
tinuously with  a  loud  clatter  against  the  body  of  the 
wagon;  but  the  driver  paid  no  attention  to  it,  keeping 
his  eyes  steadily  on  the  horses  and  the  road  before  him. 

Lady  Angleside  had  at  first  been  thoroughly  terrified, 
expecting  every  moment  to  be  dashed  over  the  grade. 
She  would  have  protested;  but  for  the  first  time  in  her 
life,  perhaps,  as  she  looked  at  Keith's  grim  countenance 
and  marked  the  square  set  of  his  jaw,  she  found  she  was 
lacking  in  the  courage  to  assert  herself.  Here,  was  a  man, 
she  saw,  who  did  not  mind  her  anger — who  had  actually 
dared  to  express  his  condemnation;  and  in  spite  of  her- 
self, she  could  not  get  away  from  a  feeling  of  guiltiness 


32O  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

towards  him.  Several  times  she  had  almost  nerved  her- 
self to  launch  forth  in  a  tirade  of  indignant  protest  at  his 
treatment  and,  always,  this  feeling  stayed  her  words.  She 
could  not  help  a  feeling  of  admiration  from  creeping  in, 
as  well;  admiration  for  his  masterfulness  and  his  deter- 
mination. 

At  Portlake  he  pulled  up  the  foam-covered  horses  at 
the  blacksmith's  shop,  amid  the  curious  stares  of  a  num- 
ber of  the  usual  hangers-on  around  the  village.  A  Ford 
car,  the  property  of  the  smith,  stood  in  the  road  in  front 
of  the  door. 

"I  want  to  borrow  your  car,  Jim,"  he  said  to  the  lat- 
ter after  he  had  helped  Lady  Angleside  to  get  down.  Jim 
was  carefully  adjusting  a  red-hot  shoe  on  the  sizzling 
hoof  of  a  farm  horse. 

"Help  yourself,"  was  the  reply  after  a  brief  glance  of 
inquiry. 

"Is  there  plenty  of  juice  aboard?" 

"I  just  put  in  a  can  not  half  an  hour  ago." 

"Put  my  team  up,  will  you,  like  a  good  fellow;  and 
rub  them  down  a  bit." 

"Looks  like  you've  been  drivin'  'em  pretty  hard,"  the 
smith  remarked  when  he  had  straightened  his  back. 

"Just  a  minute,  Jim,"  said  Keith  taking  the  man  aside 
for  a  moment.  "Was  there  a  young  lady  passed  through 
here  a  short  time  ago  in  a  big  touring  car  ?" 

"You  bet,  there  was,  Mr.  Leicester,"  said  the  man  with 
a  grin.  "It  was  Miss  Coon,  too,  the  young  woman  that 
stays  up  to  Bolton's  place.  She  took  Dick  Bolton  with 
her  in  the  car  and  he  sent  his  horse  home  with  Tim  Wal- 
lace. What's  up,  I  wonder?" 

"I  want  to  catch  up  with  them  that's  all,"  said  Keith 
perplexed  by  all  this  publicity.  "I — er — have  a  message 
to  give  the  young  lady." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  321 

"Oh,  I  see,"  said  the  man ;  but  his  tone  implied  strongly 
that  he  didn't  see.  However,  Keith  wasted  no  time  in 
enlightening  him  but  turned  round  to  go  to  the  Ford. 
What  was  his  surprise  to  see  that  her  ladyship  was  already 
seated  in  it. 

"I  can't  take  you  any  farther  with  me,  Lady  Angle- 
side,  I'm  sorry,"  he  said  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  in  the 
situation.  A  reconciliation  with  Marjorie  would  be  im- 
possible if  she  went  along  with  him.  "You  had  better 
take  the  train,"  he*  suggested. 

"Oh,  not  at  all,"  Lady  Angleside  replied  with  compos- 
ure, although,  had  she  realised  it,  the  disarray  of  her 
headgear  took  away  from  the  dignity  of  her  appearance. 
"There  has  been  quite  enough  goings-on  without  a  chap- 
eron, as  it  is.  Besides  you  will  remember  it  is  my  car 
that  has  been  run  away  with." 

Their  eyes  met  in  a  steady  stare  of  mutual  defiance  for 
a  short  space.  Then  Lady  Angleside's  grim  features  broke 
into  a  smile. 

"I'm  here  now,  you  know,  and  you  can't  very  well  put 
me  out.  You're  losing  time,  too,"  she  said. 

Keith  muttered  something  under  his  breath  as  he 
cranked  the  car  and  jumped  in ;  and  they  were  soon  speed- 
ing down  the  road  towards  Vancouver  at  a  speed  of  thirty 
miles  an  hour,  the  old  Ford  tearing  along  up  and  down  hill 
like  a  thing  possessed.  Its  driver  knew  that  there  was 
only,  at  best,  an  even  chance  that  he  might  catch  Marjorie 
with  the  start  that  she  had  if  she  drove  at  all  speedily,  so  he 
spared  neither  the  car  nor  his  grim-faced  passenger.  Some 
narrow  escapes  they  had  from  imminent  destruction.  Dogs 
from  wayside  farmhouses  greeted  them  with  frantic  bark- 
ings and  chased  them  until  exhausted;  and  numerous 
chickens  looked  death  in  the  face  as  they  flew  from  under 
the  wheels  of  the  little  Ford.  White-bearded  farmers,  as 


322  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

they  pulled  their  teams  close  into  the  roadside  to  give 
as  wide  a  berth  as  possible  to  its  reckless  driver,  swore 
loudly  as  he  passed  them  by  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  Lady 
Angleside,  for  all  her  portly  size,  bounced  about  like  a 
rubber  ball  in  the  rear  seat  but  with  no  further  complaint 
than  an  occasional  grunt  as  some  jolt  worse  than  usual 
set  her  down  with  a  specially  hard  bump  on  the  Ford's 
none  too  luxurious  cushions.  In  spite  of  all  the  discom- 
forts she  was  suffering,  Keith,  had  he  been  able  to  turn 
round  to  look  at  her,  might  have  been  surprised  to  see 
that  her  expression  had  lost  its  severity;  that,  as  she 
braced  herself  as  tightly  as  she  could  in  the  corner  of 
the  car,  she  seemed  to  smile  in  satisfaction  as  if  she  was 
thoroughly  enjoying  herself  although  the  smile  was  often 
chastened  to  a  grimace  of  pain.  Indeed,  the  old  lady  was 
entering  enthusiastically  into  the  excitement  of  the  chase 
and  her  eyes  were  strained  as  eagerly  as  Keith's  into  the 
distance  ahead  of  them  for  a  sight  of  the  runaways. 
Could  he  have  forced  the  little  car  even  faster  yet,  she 
would  not  have  gainsaid  him. 

It  was  not  until  they  had  entered  the  wide  stretch 
of  the  Pitt  Meadows  where  the  road  runs  for  miles  on 
the  dead  level  with  one  or  two  turns  at  right  angles  be- 
fore it  reaches  the  Pitt  River  that  their  eyes  were  re- 
warded with  the  sight  of  a  long  streak  of  white  dust  in 
the  distance  ahead  of  them.  It  was  an  auto,  they  could 
tell,  but  it  was  too  far  away  to  be  able  to  distinguish  the 
occupants;  and  it  seemed  to  be  going  at  a  fast  rate  of 
speed.  That  it  contained  Marjorie  was  most  likely.  Fast 
as  they  were  going,  however,  they  did  not  seem  to  be 
gaining  on  it  and  as  they  turned  the  corner  of  the  last 
stretch  of  road  going  to  the  ferry,  they  could  see  that 
the  other  auto  had  just  topped  the  high  bank  of  the  river, 
ere  it  disappeared  from  sight  over  the  rise. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  323 

"We're  almost  sure  to  catcli  her  at  the  ferry,"  shouted 
Keith,  forgetting  for  a  moment  in  his  excitement  the 
strained  relations  existing  between  himself  and  his  pas- 
senger; "there's  nearly  always  a  long  delay  in  getting 
across." 

His  expectation  was  short-lived,  however,  for  when 
about  three  minutes  later,  he  topped  the  rise  of  the  bank 
himself  and  looked  down  along  the  wooden  wharf  arrange- 
ment leading  down  to  the  water,  there  was  the  little  square 
scow  half-way  across  the  stream,  its  gasoline  engine  chug- 
chugging  away  bravely  and  Marjorie  and  Dick  standing 
on  its  deck  beside  the  stolen  Packard.  The  ferryman  was 
invisible,  no  doubt  down  beside  his  engine,  and  although 
Keith  shouted  and  waved,  his  efforts  were  useless.  A 
sad,  little  wave  of  farewell  from  each  was  all  the  reply 
that  he  got.  He  could  not  help  thinking  of  his  crossing 
with  Marjorie  but  two  nights  before.  How  different 
everything  had  been  then  and  how  much  seemed  to  have 
happened  since.  He  was  still  hopeful  that  everything 
could  be  satisfactorily  arranged  even  yet  if  only  he  could 
get  a  few  minutes'  talk  with  her.  However,  he  was  aware 
that  there  was  no  chance  of  his  catching  her  now  before 
she  reached  the  city  as  it  would  be  at  least  half  an  hour 
before  the  ferryman  would  deign  to  return  for  them.  It 
was  too  provoking,  to  have  missed  it  by  such  a  narrow 
margin.  He  watched  the  receding  scow  until  it  landed 
and  he  saw  the  auto  go  up  the  other  side  and  callously 
drive  away.  He  had  had  a  sneaking  hope  that  Marjorie 
might  relent  and  wait  for  them ;  but  this  was  soon  doomed 
to  disappointment. 

Then  he  turned  to  his  companion  and  he  was  touched 
by  a  pang  of  compunction  as  he  looked  at  her  dishevelled 
hair,  her  bonnet  hanging  back  on  her  head  and  as  he 
noted  the  tired  look  upon  her  face.  The  excitement,  so 


324  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

far,  had  kept  her  up ;  but  now  that  the  chase  was  lost  and 
the  tension  relaxed,  she  was  feeling  the  reaction. 

"I'm  afraid  that  I  have  given  you  a  terrible  jolting," 
he  said  in  a  tone  of  solicitude.  "I  am  very  sorry." 

She  smiled  faintly. 

"I  do  feel  a  bit  shaken  up,"  she  admitted;  "but  J 
wouldn't  have  minded  if  we  had  caught  her.  However, 
it  wasn't  your  fault  that  we  didn't.  You  might  have 
made  it  if  I  hadn't  delayed  you.  I  suppose  there's  no 
chance  of  catching  her  now." 

"Not  the  least,"  Keith  replied  with  a  shake  of  his  head, 
"unless  she  were  to  burst  a  tire  or  have  some  kind  of  a 
breakdown.  It  mightn't  be  any  better  if  we  did  catch 
her  after  what  you  told  her,"  he  continued  gloomily. 
"Likely  as  not  she  will  refuse  to  speak  to  me.  Confound 
the  fellow!"  he  exclaimed  angrily,  looking  across  to  the 
other  side  where  the  ferryman  could  be  seen  moving 
around  on  the  bank;  "why  doesn't  he  come  over  and  get 
us?" 

He  hallooed  lustily  but  his  voice  seemed  hopelessly 
feeble  to  cross  the  wide  expanse  of  the  river ;  and  he  soon 
realised  that  it  was  no  use  to  try  to  attract  the  man's  at- 
tention that  way.  Lady  Angleside,  after  eagerly  watch- 
ing the  results  of  his  efforts,  now  stood  up  in  the  car  and 
waved  frantically  and  would  have  made  a  curious  picture 
for  any  chance  onlooker,  with  her  hair  flying  out  from 
under  her  rebellious  bonnet  and  her  sable-hued  draperies 
round  her  Amazonian  figure  fluttering  in  the  afternoon 
breeze.  Boadicea,  standing  in  her  chariot  inciting  her 
ravaged  Britons  to  revenge,  could  hardly  have  presented 
any  more  striking  or  commanding  figure.  However,  all 
her  efforts,  too,  appeared  to  be  without  avail.  Exhausted, 
she  soon  sat  down  again  and  turned  to  Keith  a  face  that 
was  full  of  vexation  and  chagrin. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  325 

"Don't  worry,"  he  said  soothingly;  "we  might  as  well 
possess  our  souls  in  patience;  for  we  shall  never  catch 
them  now.  Funny,  isn't  it,"  he  went  on  with  an  amused 
laugh.  "Here  we  are,  you  and  I,  leagued  together  for  a 
certain  purpose  and  conversing  amicably  when  we  should 
hardly  be  speaking  to  each  other.  Your  object  is  to  de- 
feat the  dearest  desire  of  my  heart  and  I  suppose  mine  is, 
to  defeat  the  dearest  desire  of  yours.  Why  I  should  have 
let  you  come  with  me  is  more  than  my  poor  wits  can 
explain." 

She  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  with  a  curious  expres- 
sion which  finally  softened  into  a  smile. 

"It  was  because  you  couldn't  help  yourself,  that's  all," 
she  replied. 

"Now,  after  all,  seeing  we  have  some  time  on  our 
hands,"  he  asked,  "what  is  your  particular  objection  to 
me  as  a  husband  for  Marjorie,  looking  at  the  matter  im- 
partially, you  know,  and  putting  your  own  son's  pre- 
tensions out  of  the  question  ?" 

He  had  sat  down  at  the  side  of  the  car  on  a  box  turned 
up  on  its  end  and  was  looking  quizzically  up  at  her. 

"Oh,  no  particular  one,  I  can  assure  you,"  she  returned 
with  a  twinkle  of  malice  in  her  eye.  "I  find  you  generally 
objectionable." 

IIu  made  a  gesture  of  mock  despair. 

"You  score,  my  dear  lady ;  but  let  us  descend  to  details, 
if  you  please.  I  suppose,  first  of  all,  I  am  not  rich 
enough." 

"!N"o,  you  are  not  rich  enough  to  be  a  match  for  a  girl 
with  a  fortune  such  as  she  will  have  in  her  own  right. 
For  that  matter,  Wilfrid  is  poor  According  to  his  rank; 
but  his  rank  itself  is  sufficient  to  offset  her  money," — 
it  was  too  much  to  expect  of  the  worthy  lady  to  leave  her 
son  out  of  the  discussion, — "and  you — "  she  went  on  con- 


326  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

temptuously,  "you  have  neither  the  money  nor  the  rank." 

"Come  now/'  said  Keith  reproachfully,  "you  must  he 
fair  with  me,  you  know.  It's  true  that  I  am  only  Mister 
as  she  is  only  Miss  and  it  would  be  an  ungrateful  task 
surely  for  me  to  have  to  blow  the  trumpet  for  my  poor 
ancestors.  Who  and  what  they  were,  is  it  not  written  in 
the  book  of  the  Peerage,  which  is  I  suppose  to  the  British 
aristocracy  what  Chronicles  was  to  the  ancient  Israelites  ? 
Naive  and  childlike  people,  both  of  them,"  he  remarked 
reflectively,  but  with  an  apprehensive  glance  that  took 
in  the  shade  of  resentment  just  beginning  to  becloud  her 
ladyship's  brow.  "And  as  for  money,"  he  went  on,  has- 
tening to  skirt  clear  of  the  thin  ice  of  a  dangerous  subject, 
"why,  for  my  position  and  way  of  life,  with  five  hundred 
pounds  and  my  hundred  acres  free  of  encumbrance,  I 
am  a  veritable  Crcesus." 

Lady  Angleside  snorted  indignantly. 

"Position,"  she  cried,  "a  mere  rancher  toiling  and 
sweating  like  a  hind.  My  son  will  some  day  be  Lord- 
Lieutenant  of  the  County." 

"My  dear  lady,"  protested  Keith  with  a  sort  of  humor- 
ous despair.  "Why  will  you  bring  your  son  into  the  argu- 
ment ?  Don't  you  see  how  much  more  ungrateful  it  makes 
my  task.  It's  bad  enough  to  have  to  urge  my  own  merits 
without  having  to  set  them  against  his.  Now,  you  say 
'a  mere  rancher' ;  but  you  are  quite  wrong.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  am  one  of  the  councillors  ruling  the  affairs  of 
this  municipality  and  they  are  even  now  asking  me  to 
run  for  Reeve  next  year.  It  is  larger  than  many  an  Eng- 
lish county,  being  about  twenty  miles  from  east  to  west 
and  from  the  Fraser  to  the  wilderness  North  to  South. 
I  am  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Police  Commissioner  for 
the  district.  It's  true,"  he  added  with  a  deprecatory  laugh, 
"the  police  force  consists  of  only  one  and  he  performs  the 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  327 

duties  of  local  pound-keeper  as  well ;  but  that  only  speaks 
the  more  highly  for  the  law-abiding  qualities  of  the  peo- 
ple." 

"That  may  be  so,"  Lady  Angleside  admitted  rather 
grudgingly,  somewhat  impressed  in  spite  of  herself;  "but 
it  is  a  barbarous  country  at  best.  It  might  be  all  right 
for  a  man,  but  for  a  girl  brought  up  as  Marjorie  has  been 
to  be  happy  in  it,  why  it  is  simply  impossible !  With  all 
her  money,  why  should  she  bury  herself  in  a  place  like 
this?"  she  said  in  a  tone  of  aggrieved  wonder. 

"Why,  indeed?"  agreed  Keith,  "unless  perhaps,  she 
cared  enough  for  a  fellow  to  do  so." 

"But,  of  course,"  Lady  Angleside  remarked  in  a  tone 
of  disdain,  "there  would  be  no  need  for  either  of  you  to 
remain  in  this  country.  You  would  go  home  and  settle 
with  her  on  her  money — buy  an  estate  somewhere  in  Eng- 
land and  your  local  pound-keeper  would  have  to  find  some- 
body else  to  superintend  him,"  and  a  scornful  smile  flit- 
ted across  her  features. 

"No,  indeed,  I  would  never  think  of  such  a  thing," 
said  Keith  emphatically,  "no  matter  how  rich  my  wife 
would  be.  This  country  is  good  enough  for  me  and  I  want 
to  have  my  small  part  in  its  development." 

"Ah,  so  you  declare  now ;  but  you  would  find  that  your 
wife  would  have  something  to  say  on  that  score,"  retorted 
Lady  Angleside. 

"I  would  never  marry  a  girl  who  would  not  be  satisfied 
to  stay  here  with  me,"  said  Keith. 

"You'll  never  marry  Marjorie  then,  young  man,"  she 
replied  nodding  her  head  portentously. 

"We  shall  wait  and  see,"  was  his  brief  response. 

Nothing  further  was  said  on  the  subject,  for  the  ferry- 
man was  seen  bestirring  himself  on  the  other  side  and 


328  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

soon  sundry  coughings  of  the  engine  and  sundry  grindings 
from  the  wire  cable  followed  by  the  steady  chug-chug 
when  the  craft  was  once  under  way,  announced  that  there 
would  soon  be  an  end  to  their  waiting. 


CHAPTER  XLHI 

CLOWN.    Ay,  and  spite  of  all  that  could  be  said  or  done,  she  vowed 
she'd  take  him  an'  that  was  the  end  o't. 

CYRIL.    And  prithee,  how  did  it  all  come  about? 

CLOWN.     Oh,  faith,  the  usual  way.     That  pert  boy  yclept  Cupid 
put  a  finger  in  the  pie  and  the  rest  followed. 

OLD  PLAY. 

LOED  ANGLESIDE  had  just  finished  dressing  for  dinner 
and  was  enjoying  a  cigarette  in  his  private  sitting-room 
before  going  down.  His  wife  had  been  away  most  of 
the  day  so  that  he  had  been  free  to  do  as  he  liked  and  he 
was  feeling  in  a  particularly  good  humour  when  there 
came  a  knock  at  the  door  and  in  answer  to  his  "Come  in," 
Marjorie  entered  the  room. 

"Bless  my  soul!"  he  exclaimed  in  surprise  as  he  rose 
to  greet  her,  "my  dear  girl,  I  am  glad  to  see  you." 

"You  dear  old  Uncle !"  exclaimed  Marjorie  with  a  mist 
of  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she  put  her  arms  about  his  neck 
and  kissed  him,  greatly  moved  by  the  heartiness  of  his 
welcome.  "I  do  believe  you  really  are  glad  to  see  me." 

"There,  there,  there,  why  of  course  I  am,"  he  replied 
patting  her  shoulder  affectionately.  "I'm  just  as  fond 
of  you  as  ever  though  you  did  run  away  from  me  and  lead 
us  all  such  a  dance.  But  whatever  have  you  done  with 
your  aunt  ?  J.  thought  she  went  off  to  see  you  and  give 
you  a  scolding." 

"So  she  did,  you  know ;  but  I  ran  away  with  her  motor 
and  left  her.  I  couldn't  help  it,  really,"  she  said,  the 

329 


330  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

sparkle  dying  out  of  her  eyes  and  a  hot  flush  of  painful 
memory  kindling  in  her  cheeks. 

The  old  peer's  face  meanwhile  was  a  study,  apprehen- 
sion, astonishment  and  amusement  all  struggling  for  ex- 
pression at  the  same  time,  as  he  tried  to  grasp  the  mean- 
ing of  his  ward's  confession.  The  vision  of  Lady  Angle- 
side  left  stranded  in  some  lonely  wood  while  Marjorie 
ran  off  in  her  motor  was  such  as  almost  to  stagger  belief. 
It  came  to  him  with  just  such  a  shock  as  the  news  of  some 
startling  case  of  Use  majeste  against  his  monarch  might 
have  caused  him.  Then  the  humorous  side  of  it  struck 
him  and  the  beginning  of  a  smile  puckered  up  one  side 
of  his  mouth. 

"Wh-wha-a-a-t,  you  don't  say  so?  impossible!"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"No,  it's  quite  true,"  she  assured  him  lifting  her  head 
with  a  pretty,  little  air  of  spirit;  but  quickly  lowering  it 
again  in  humility.  "She  was  saying  such  terrible  things 
about  me  to  Mr.  Leicester  and  I  just  couldn't  stand  it, 
so  I  ran  away  to  you." 

The  note  of  appeal  in  her  voice  swept  away  any  linger- 
ing hesitation  that  his  Lordship  might  have  had  and 
from  that  moment  he  was  her  firm  partisan. 

"Sit  down,  my  dear,  and  tell  me  all  about  it;  and  then 
we'll  go  down  to  dinner  together.  If  you  have  left  your 
poor  aunt  out  in  the  wilds,  I  don't  suppose  there's  any 
,'  need  to  wait  for  her." 

"Oh,  but  she's  right  behind  me,"  Marjorie  declared 
excitedly,  "and  Mr.  Leicester,  too ;  and  they  mustn't  know 
I've  been  here.  They  just  missed  catching  me  at  the  ferry 
but  we  got  on  board  just  in  time.  "We  saw  them  plainly 
on  the  wharf  and  Auntie  waved  for  us  to  come  back — lit- 
tle Dicky  Bolton  came  with  me — but  we  never  paid  any 
heed." 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  331 

"By  Jove,  no,  did  you  though !"  exclaimed  his  Lordship 
in  delight  and  admiration,  enthused  out  of  his  customary 
drawl ;  "I'd  have  given  a  couple  of  ponies  to  have  seen  it. 
But  you  must  tell  me  the  whole  story  from  the  beginning. 
We  mustn't  lose  any  time  either,  for  they  might  be  here 
any  moment." 

"I  left  Dicky  on  watch,"  Marjorie  continued  still  some- 
what breathless.  "He's  to  get  one  of  the  page-boys  to 
bring  him  up  as  soon  as  they  arrive ;  and  that  will  give  me 
time  to  get  away  before  they  come  up.  He  has  never 
been  in  such  a  place  as  this  in  his  life  before;  but  he  has 
his  wits  about  him  all  the  same." 

Pausing  for  a  moment,  she  sat  down  on  a  stool  beside 
her  guardian's  chair  and  with  some  faltering  at  times 
and  many  blushes,  she  told  him  the  day's  history. 

"O-ho,  so  that's  how  the  affair  stands,  is  it?"  he  said 
when  she  had  finished.  "You  went  and  became  engaged 
to  this  chap,  Leicester,  without  asking  your  guardian's 
consent;  and  now  you  want  to  send  him  about  his  busi- 
ness." 

"I  never  wish  to  see  him  again,"  she  said  passionately. 
"I  do  not  believe  all  that  Aunt  Sophronia  said  to  him  but 
I  don't  want  to  see  him  again." 

Lord  Angleside  looked  at  her  with  a  faint  smile  of 
amusement. 

"Ah,  you  think  that  he's  after  you  for  your  money,  of 
course,"  he  remarked  blandly,  twisting  his  moustache.  He 
was  anxious  to  find  out  the  real  nature  of  the  girl's  feel- 
ing for  the  man  and  he  was  not  unskilful  in  probing  into 
the  subtleties  of  feminine  character.  Of  the  inefficacy  of 
direct  questioning  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  he  was  fully 
aware. 

"After  my  money !"  the  girl  replied  indignantly.    "No, 


332  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

he's  not  that  kind.  He  wouldn't  have  asked  me  if  he  had 
known  I  have  money." 

"Ah,  indeed,"  drawled  his  Lordship,  half  closing  his 
eyes  and  lightly  drumming  with  his  fingers  on  the  arm  of 
his  chair.  "Then  what  you  feel  is  that — ah,  that  ah — he 
took  advantage  of  your  inexperience  and  your  predica- 
ment with  these  detectives — a  rather  awkward  one  cer- 
tainly,"— here  he  chuckled  silently  to  himself  behind  his 
ward's  back —  "to  compromise  you  with  his  attentions, 
as  your  aunt  says,  to  entrap  you  into  marriage  with  him. 
A  shameful  thing  to  do !"  he  exclaimed  with  a  finely  simu- 
lated wrath;  "and  he  nothing  but  a  rancher,  a  regular 
undesirable  as  your  aunt  would  say,  and  not  fit  to  asso- 
ciate with  people  of  our  class." 

"I  don't  feel  anything  of  the  sort,"  said  Marjorie  turn- 
ing round  so  as  to  face  him,  her  eyes  flashing  finely ;  "and 
I  am  ashamed  of  you  to  suggest  such  a  thing,  Uncle  Reg- 
gie. You're  every  bit  as  bad  as  Auntie.  Mr.  Leicester 
behaved  perfectly  honourably  throughout,  and  he's  not  an 
undesirable.  He  is  a  gentleman  just  as  much  as  you  are." 

"Oh,  indeed,  is  that  so  ?"  said  his  Lordship  again  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye.  "Well,  my  dear,  if  you  feel  that 
way  about  him  and  have  promised  to  marry  him — of 
course,  it  was  without  your  guardian's  consent  and  you 
might  ah — if  you  chose — allege  that  as  an  excuse  for,  ah — 
withdrawing  from  it — why  do  you  want  to  run  away  from 
him  ?"  and  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  with  a  smile. 

Marjorie  lowered  her  head  in  some  confusion;  but  her 
reply  was  made  unnecessary  by  the  tumultuous  entrance 
of  Lady  Angleside  and  Mr.  Leicester,  followed  by  a  very 
crestfallen  Dicky  who,  stationed  at  the  main  entrance, 
had  been  quick  to  mark  the  approach  of  the  enemy;  but 
not  quick  enough  to  escape  the  keen  eye  of  Mr.  Leicester 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  333 

who  had  captured  him  at  the  elevator  before  he  could  reach 
Marjorie  to  give  the  alarm. 

"So,  she's  here,  is  she?"  Lady  Angleside  said  grimly 
to  her  husband  without  further  greeting.  "What  have  you 
got  to  say  for  yourself,  miss  ?"  she  continued,  turning  to 
Marjorie,  who  had  risen  and  stood  facing  her.  "You 
seem  to  have  learned  a  great  many  things  since  you  came 
to  this  country,  grand  larceny  being  one  of  them.  Your 
detectives,  it  seems  to  me,  were  not  so  far  wrong  when 
they  wanted  to  arrest  you  for  thieving."  There  was  a 
twinkle  in  her  ladyship's  eye,  however,  and  a  certain  hu- 
morous twist  on  her  features,  indicating  to  one  who  knew 
her  well  that  her  words  were  not  wholly  in  earnest. 

Lord  Angleside,  noting  this,  discreetly  remained  silent. 
It  was  a  theory  with  him  that,  in  arguing  with  the  other 
sex,  the  advantage  lay  with  the  one  who  was  most  sparing 
of  speech.  He  had  bowed  to  Keith  on  his  entrance  and 
offered  him  a  chair ;  but  the  latter  still  remained  standing. 
Less  experienced  than  the  older  man  and  eager  to  cham- 
pion the  girl,  he  hastened  to  thrust  himself  into  the  argu- 
ment. 

"If  Marjorie  ran  away  with  your  car,  you  certainly 
took  possession  of  mine,  Lady  Angleside,"  he  said  with  his 
most  winning  smile,  "and  if  Marjorie's  crime  was  grand 
larceny,  I  think  that  yours  was  a  species  of  highway  rob- 
bery which  is  ranked  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  as  the  graver 
charge.  I  am  sure,  though,  that  I  bear  no  malice  and 
your  Ladyship  could  hardly  be  less  generous." 

"You  forced  me  to  do  as  I  did,"  said  Marjorie  standing 
white  and  defiant  over  against  the  window.  "You  had  no 
right  to  say  those  horrible  things  about  me;  and  I  don't 
want  ever  to  see  you  again — or — Mr.  Leicester  either," 
she  added  with  a  slight  catch  in  her  voice. 

"You  have  no  right  to  blame  me,  Marjorie,"  said  Keith ; 


334  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"I  have  done  nothing  that  I  know  of  that  should  change 
your  opinion  of  me  or  to  make  you  run  away  from  me. 
You  have  promised  to  marry  me  and  surely,  after  that, 
you  would  not  let  a  few  ridiculous  words,  spoken  by  your 
aunt  in  the  heat  of  the  moment,  come  between  us,"  and 
he  moved  towards  her  but  with  a  quick  gesture  she  warned 
him  away. 

"You  may  call  them  'a.  few  ridiculous  words/  sir," 
she  broke  out  passionately,  "but  true  or  not,  they  were 
such  as  to  cover  me  with  horror  and  shame." 

The  sting  of  her  outraged  pride,  the  pain  of  her  rude 
awakening  from  love's  first,  delicious  idyll  and  the  bit- 
terness of  her  tumultuous  reflections  of  the  last  three 
hours,  all  combined  to  raise  her  out  of  her  usual  poise  and 
self-control  and  to  make  her  strike  out  with  the  natural 
instinct  of  a  wounded  creature  to  return  hurt  for  hurt. 

"I  quite  understand  how  you  feel  about  it,  Marjorie," 
said  Keith  soothingly;  "but  you  exaggerate  the  whole 
matter.  I'm  sure  Lady  Angleside  is  very  sorry  herself 
about  it." 

"Well,  perhaps  J  did  say  a  little  more  than  I  really 
meant,  Marjorie,"  said  Lady  Angleside,  moved  a  little 
by  the  girl's  distress ;  "but  I  still  hold  to  my  opinion  that 
Mr.  Leicester  is  after  you  for  your  money.  I  have  had 
a  lot  of  experience  with  penniless  suitors  like  him  before ; 
and  I  know  the  breed." 

"Tut,  tut,  Sophy,"  his  Lordship  remonstrated,  feeling 
that  his  wife  was  going  too  far.  "You  should  be  careful 
how  you  say  such  things." 

Keith  had  altered  the  pose  of  his  head  slightly  so  that 
his  chin  became  a  shade  more  prominent  and  he  smiled; 
but  it  was  a  smile  that  was  mirthless  and  cold. 

"I  am  not  so  much  concerned  about  your  opinion  of 
my  motives,  Lady  Angleside,  but  if  you  are  of  the  same 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  335 

mind,  Marjorie,  of  course,  there  is  nothing  left  for  me 
but  to  say  'good-bye.'  Otherwise,  I  should  hold  you  to 
your  promise.  I  thought  that  you  had  nothing  when  I 
asked  you  to  marry  me.  If  you  do  not  believe  me  you 
must  say  so  and  that  will  end  the  matter." 

He  spoke  with  deliberation  and  a  trifle  huskily  and  his 
heart  seemed  to  be  making  such  a  disturbance  within  his 
breast  as  came  well  nigh  to  choking  him.  He  had  eyes 
only  for  Marjorie  whose  gaze  was  averted;  but  the  rich 
flood  of  colour  in  her  face  bore  witness  to  the  strength  of 
her  emotions.  There  was  a  space  of  silence  that  was 
painful  to  all.  Lady  Angleside  still  stood  turning  from 
one  to  the  other,  grim  and  forbidding,  and  the  humorous 
twist  had  long  ago  disappeared  from  her  features.  Her 
husband  took  refuge  in  blowing  his  nose  which  he  did  with 
the  startling  effect  of  a  trumpet  blast.  His  wife  seemed 
to  be  always  involving  him  in  unpleasant  scenes  and  he 
was  feeling  very  sore  about  it.  There  seemed  to  be  so 
little  justification  for  it  all,  too,  he  was  reflecting. 

Marjorie  kept  her  eyes  on  the  carpet  as  long  as  she  was 
able ;  but  there  seemed  to  be  some  power  of  attraction  that 
forced  her  quite  against  her  will  to  meet  Keith's  at  last. 
She  was  vexed  with  herself  for  her  petulance  and  she  felt 
that  he  must  be  despising  her.  In  a  sort  of  sub-conscious 
way,  she  was  aware,  too,  of  Dick's  reproachful  presence, 
Dick  who  was  so  loyal  to  both.  However,  when  she  finally 
met  Keith's  gaze  she  could  see  nothing  of  contempt  or 
anger,  nothing  to  bear  out  the  sternness  of  his  words. 
Rather  was  it  full  of  trust  and  appeal ;  and  the  mist  that 
had  beclouded  her  understanding  was  suddenly  dispelled 
and  she  knew  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  her  again 
to  let  any  doubt  or  misunderstanding  come  between  them. 

"Of  course,  I  believe  you,  Keith,"  she  said  at  last ;  and 
there  was  that  in  her  tone  and  her  smile  that  took  him  to 


336  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

her  side.  With  one  hand  in  hers  and  the  other  on  her 
shoulder,  he  turned  to  Lord  Angleside. 

"That  being  the  case,  Lord  Angleside,"  he  said  with  a 
smile  and  a  faint  inclination,  "I  beg  to  request  the  hand 
of  your  ward  in  marriage." 

"By  Jove,  my  boy,"  Lord  Angleside  replied,  twisting 
the  end  of  his  moustache  and  contorting  his  face  in  a 
vain  effort  to  suppress  the  smile  that  would  make  its  ap- 
pearance. "It  seems  to  me  that  you've  taken  it  already 
and  there's  nothing  left  for  me  but  to  give  you  my  bless- 
ing, eh,  Sophy  ?  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  believe  this,  being 
my  ward's  twenty-first  birthday,  marks  the  end  of  my 
guardianship;  and  she  seems  to  have  taken  her  fate  in 
her  own  hands,  though  she  was  of  quite  the  contrary 
intention  when  she  came  in  first — you  needn't  blush  so 
furiously  about  it,  Marjorie.  I  seem  to  be  working  over- 
time as  the  fond  parent  this  afternoon  though.  It's  not 
an  hour  since  I  was  asked  to  give  my  blessing  to  Wilfrid 
and  Miss  Devereux ;  and  incidentally  to  break  the  news  to 
you,  Sophy." 

Lady  Angleside  had  been  controlling  her  emotions  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  during  this  harangue  in  which  she 
found  herself  taking  such  a  subordinate  place;  and  when 
her  husband  disclosed  the  last  piece  of  news  in  such  an 
off-hand  manner,  she  was  fairly  dumbfounded  though  she 
was  not  altogether  unprepared  for  it,  to  tell  the  truth. 

"Wilfrid  and  Miss  Devereux!"  she  gasped  and  then 
she  rallied  from  the  shock  bravely.  "Well,  I  am  not  sur- 
prised. Indeed,  I  may  say  I  have  been  expecting  it ;  and 
I  am  sure  she  will  suit  him  very  much  better  than  Mar- 
jorie  would  have  done.  There  is  one  point  I  must  insist 
upon  with  Mr.  Leicester,  however,  Reginald,  and  I  trust 
you  will  as  well — and  I  hope  that  our  wishes  will  be  con- 
sidered in  some  degree,  at  least,  considering  the  care  and 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  337 

affection  that  we  have  lavished  on  Marjorie  all  these  years 
— that  is,  that  they  come  home  to  live  in  England.  It  is 
only  fair  to  Marjorie  when  her  father  left  her  so  well 
provided  for  that  she  should  reap  the  benefit." 

"Ah,  to  be  sure,  of  course,"  assented  Lord  Angleside 
rubbing  his  hands  together.  "They  would  never  think  of 
living  out  here  with  all  that  money — over  ninety  thousand 
pounds  and  all  well  invested.  We  should  have  to  make 
that  a  condition,  I  think,  Leicester,  you  know." 

Lady  Angleside  looked  over  triumphantly  at  Keith. 
She  had  placed  him  between  the  devil  and  the  deep  sea. 
If  he  refused  to  accept  the  condition,  no  doubt,  Mar- 
jorie would  be  offended  and  her  husband  also;  if  he  did 
accept  it,  he  would  have  to  eat  his  own  words  of  an 
hour  ago. 

There  was  another  portentous  silence  for  a  brief  space. 

''That  is  a  condition  that  my  manhood  would  not  allow 
me  to  accept,  Lord  Angleside,"  said  Keith  after  a  mo- 
ment's reflection.  "I  have  taken  up  a  certain  work  here — 
no  doubt,  a  very  humble  and  unimportant  one  to  you — 
but  not  so  to  me.  It  is  a  worthy  work  and  I  could  not  lay 
it  aside  to  live  on  my  wife's  money  no  matter  how  much 
it  was.  ,1  am  sure  Marjorie  would  feel  that  I  was  right, 
too.  However,  if  she  thinks  the  rough-and-ready  life  of 
the  West — the  lack  of  the  veneer  that  belongs  to  an  older 
civilisation — means  too  much  of  a  sacrifice  for  her  to  make 
— I  should  be  the  last  to  ask  her  to  remain  here  at  the  ex- 
pense of  her  happiness.  I  have  thrown  in  my  fortime 
with  the  West  and  I  cannot  draw  back.  My  wife  must 
be  my  partner  in  the  enterprise,"  and  he  looked  down 
fondly  at  Marjorie. 

"Aw,  is  that  so  ?  And  what  does  Marjorie  say  ?"  asked 
Lord  Angleside  in  his  lazy  drawl,  glancing  keenly  from 
one  to  the  other. 


338  The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester 

"My  place  is  with  my  husband,  of  course,"  said  Mar- 
jorie  simply,  meeting  Keith's  look  with  a  tender  smile. 
"Besides,"  she  added  softly,  "I  love  the  West,  too." 

Lord  Angleside  turned  to  his  wife. 

"You  see  it's  no  use,  Sophy,  we  old  folks  might  as  well 
keep  our  fingers  out  of  the  pie.  You  have  the  right  stuff 
in  you,  Leicester,  my  boy,"  he  said,  shaking  Keith  heart- 
ily by  the  hand,  "and  I  think  that  you'll  do  very  well  even 
if  you  aren't  loaded  down  with  money-bags.  Marjorie's 
a  sensible  girl,  no  society  nonsense  about  her — and  if  you 
only  hold  her  with  a  light  rein,  you'll  manage  her  all  right. 
You're  a  lucky  fellow  to  get  her,"  and  drawing  the  girl 
to  him  he  kissed  her  on  both  cheeks.  "Now,  Sophy,  it's 
your  turn  to  act  handsomely,"  he  added  turning  to  his 
wife. 

"Well,  at  least,  it  will  be  a  relief  to  get  Marjorie  off 
my  hands,"  said  her  Ladyship.  "One  never  knows  what 
she  will  do  next,"  and  she  kissed  her  not  unkindly.  "As 
for  you,  Mr.  Leicester,  I've  felt  more  respect  for  you  since 
I  saw  the  rate  you  could  drive  a  Ford  car  with  two  flat 
tires.  I'm  sure  it  will  be  some  time  before  I  recover  from 
the  shaking  up  I've  had  to-day.  All  the  same,  I  wish  you 
both  a  great  deal  of  happiness,"  and  she  shook  hands 
heartily  with  Keith. 

"And  what  about  you,  Dicky?"  asked  Marjorie  going 
over  to  Dick  who,  in  an  agony  of  shyness,  was  trying  to 
efface  himself  in  a  corner  and  kissing  him,  much  to  his 
further  discomfiture. 

"Ah,  you  little  traitor,"  said  Keith  shaking  his  finger 
at  him.  "What  do  you  mean  by  aiding  and  abetting  Mar- 
jorie in  rebellion  the  way  you  did  ?" 

Dicky  was  bathed  in  an  agony  of  blushes  when  he  found 
himself  the  centre  of  interest;  but  a  gleam  of  mischief 
twinkled  in  his  eyes. 


The  Chivalry  of  Keith  Leicester  339 

"I  was  tryin'  to  play  Shivalree,"  he  declared,  glancing 
slyly  at  Marjorie,  "to  a  maiden  in  distress — you  know — 
you  know,  like  the  guy  you  told  me  about,  that  she  said 
was  dead." 

"Shake  hands  on  it,  Dicky,"  said  Keith  enthusiasti- 
cally; "and  you  were  quite  right,  you  little  trump." 

"And  I  take  it  all  back  about  him  being  dead,  Dicky 
dear,"  said  Marjorie  earnestly.  "He  will  never  be  dead 
so  long  as  there  are  boys  like  you  and  Keith  to  keep  him 
alive." 

"Well,  suppose  we  go  down  to  dinner,"  suggested  Lord 
Angleside,  who  was  beginning  to  feel  slightly  bored  by  so 
much  sentiment.  "Sophy,  you  and  ,1  must  lead  the  way 
and  let  these  lovers  follow." 

"Do  you  know  the  happy  thought  that  strikes  me,  Mar- 
jorie ?"  said  Keith  as  they  passed  out  into  the  hall  behind 
Lord  and  Lady  Angleside  with  Dick  half  a  pace  in  front 
of  them.  "There'll  be  a  moon  to-night  again  on  English 
Bay  and,  as  soon  as  dinner  is  over,  we  shall  go  down  and 
launch  our  little  canoe.  Only,  this  time,"  he  added,  pat- 
ting the  boy's  head,  "we  shall  take  our  wingless  Cupid 
with  us  in  the  prow,  even  if  we  have  to  blindfold  him  and 
seal  his  ears  with  wax." 


THE   END. 


THE  NOVELS  OF 

MARY  ROBERTS    RINEHART 

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"K."^     Illustrated. 

K.  LeMoyne,  famous  surgeon,  drops  out  of  the  world  that 
has  known  him,  and  goes  to  live  in  a  little  town  where 
beautiful  Sidney  Page  lives.  She  is  in  training  to  become  a 
nurse.  The  joys  and  troubles  of  their  young  love  are  told 
with  that  keen  and  sympathetic  appreciation  which  has 
made  the  author  faxious. 

THE  MAN  IN  LOWER  TEN. 

Illustrated  by  Howard  Chandler  Christy. 

An  absorbing  detective  story  woven  around  the  mysteri- 
ous death  of  the  "Man  in  Lower  Ten."  The  strongest 
elements  of  Mrs.  Rinehart's  success  are  found  in  this  book. 

WHEN  A  MAN  MARRIES. 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher  and  Mayo  Bunker. 

A  young  artist,  whose  wife  had  recently  divorced  him, 
finds  that  his  aunt  is  soon  to  visit  him.  The  aunt,  who 
contributes  to  the  family  income  and  who  has  never  seen 
the  wife,  knows  nothing  of  the  domestic  upheaval.  How 
the  young  man  met  the  situation  is  humorously  and  most 
entertainingly  told. 

THE  CIRCULAR  STAIRCASE.     Illus.  by  Lester  Ralph. 

The  summer  occupants  of  "Sunnyside"  find  the  dead 
body  of  Arnold  Armstrong,  the  son  of  the  owner,  on  the  cir- 
cular staircase.  Following  the  murder  a  bank  failure  is  an- 
nounced. Around  these  two  events  is  woven  a  plot  of 
absorbing  interest. 

THE  STREET  OF  SEVEN  STARS. 
Illustrated  (Photo  Play  Edition.) 

Harmony  Wells,  studying  in  Vienna  to  be  a  great  vio- 
linist, suddenly  realizes  that  her  money  is  almost  gone.  Ske 
meets  a  young  ambitious  doctor  who  offers  her  chivalry  and 
sympathy,  and  together  with  world-worn  Dr.  Anna  and 
Jimaaie,  the  waif,  they  share  their  love  and  slender  means. 

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BOOTH     TARKINGTON'S 
NOVELS 

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SEVENTEEN.    Illustrated  by  Arthur  William  Brown. 

No  one  but  the  creator  of  Penrod  could  have  portrayed 
the  immortal  young  people  of  this  story.    Its  humor  is  irre- 
sistible and  reminiscent  of  the  time  when  the  reader  was  t 
Seventeen. 

PENROD.    Illustrated  by  Gordon  Grant. 

This  is  a  picture  of  a  boy's  heart,  full  of  the  lovable,  hu- 
morous, tragic  things  which  are  locked  secrets  to  most  older 
folks.  It  is  a  finished,  exquisite  work. 

PENROD  AND  SAM.  Illustrated  by  Worth  Brehm. 

Like  "  Penrod "  and  "  Seventeen,"  this  book  contains 
some  remarkable  phases  of  real  boyhood  and  some  of  the  best 
stories  of  juvenile  prankishness  that  have  ever  been  written. 

THE  TURMOIL.    Illustrated  by  C.  E.  Chambers. 

Bibbs  Sheridan  is  a  dreamy,  imaginative  youth,  who  re- 
volts against  his  father's  plans  for  him  to  be  a  servitor  of 
big  business.  The  love  of  a  fine  girl  turns  Bibb's  life  from 
failure  to  success. 

THE  GENTLEMAN  FROM  INDIANA.    Frontispiece. 

A  story  of  love  and  politics, — more  especially  a  picture  of 
a  country  editor's  life  in  Indiana,  but  the  charm  of  the  book 
lies  in  the  love  interest. 

THE  FLIRT.    Illustrated  by  Clarence  F.  Underwood. 

The  "  Flirt,"  the  younger  of  two  sisters,  breaks  one  girl's 
engagement,  drives  one  man  to  suicide,  causes  the  murder 
of  another,  leads  another  to  lose  his  fortune,  and  in  the  end 
marries  a  stupid  and  unpromising  suitor,  leaving  the  really 
worthy  one  to  marry  her  sister. 

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KATHLEEN  NORRIS'   STORIES 

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MOTHER.    Illustrated  by  F.  C.  Yohn. 

This  book  has  a  fairy-story  touch,  ^counterbalanced  by 
the  sturdy  reality  of  struggle,  sacrifice,  and  resulting  peace 
and  power  of  a  mother's  experiences. 

SATURDAY'S  CHILD. 
Frontispiece  by  F.  Graham  Cootes. 

Out  on  the  Pacific  coast  a  normal  girl,  obscure  and  lovely, 
makes]  a  quest  for  happiness.  She  passes  through  three 
stages — poverty,  wealth  and  service — and  works  out  a 
creditable  salvation. 

THE  RICH  MRS.  BURGOYNE. 
Illustrated  by  Lucius  H.  Hitchcock. 

The  story  Fof  a  sensible  woman  who'keeps  within  her 
means,  refuses  to  be  swamped  by  social  engagements,  lives 
a  normal  human  life  of  varied  interests,  and  has  her  own 
romance. 

THE  STORY  OF  JULIA  PAGE. 

Frontispiece  by  Allan  Gilbert. 

How  Julia  Page,  reared  in  rather  unpromising  surround- 
ings, lifted  herself  through  sheer  determination  to  a  higher 
plane  of  life. 

THE  HEART  OF  RACHAEL. 

Frontispiece  by  Charles  E.  Chambers. 

Rachael  is  called  upon  to  solve  many  problems,  and  in 
working  out  these,  there  is  shown  the  beauty  and  strength 
of  soul  of  one  of  fiction's  most  appealing  characters. 

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SHORTY   McCABE.      Illustrated  by  Francis  Vaux  Wilson. 

A  very  humorous  story,    The  hero,  an  independent  and  vigorous 
thinker,  sees  life,  and  tells  about  it  in  a  very  unconventional  way* 
SIDE-STEPPING  WITH  SHORTY. 
Jiiust  fated  by  Francis  Vaux  Wilson. 

Twenty  skits,    presenting  people  with  their   foibles,     Sympethj 
with  human  nature  and  an  abounding  sense  of  humor  are  the  requi- 
sites  for  "side-stepping  with  Shorty." 
SHORTY  McCABE  ON  THE  JOB. 
Ill'jstrated  by  Francis  Vaux  Wilson. 

Shorty  McCabe  reappears  with  his  figures  of  speech  revamped 
right  up  to   the   minute.       He  aids  in    the  right  distribution  of  a 
"'conscience   fund,"    and    gives  joy  to   all   concerned. 
SHORTY  McCABE'S  ODD  NUMBERS. 
Illustrated  by  Francis  Vaux  Wilson. 

These  further  chronicles  of  Shorty  McCabe  tell  of  his  studio  for 
physical  culture,  and  of  his  experiences  both  on  the  East  side  and  at 
swell  yachting  parties. 
TORCHY.      Illus,  by  Geo.  Biehm  and  Jas.  Montgomery  Flagg. 

A   red-headed  office  boy,  overflowing   with  wit  and  wisdom  pe- 
culiar to  the  youths  reared  on  the  sidewalks  of  New  York,  tells  ths 
story  of  his  experiences. 
TRYING  OUT  TORCHY.      Illustrated  by  F.  Foster  Lincoln. 

Torchy    is  just  as  deliriously  funny  in  these  stories  as  he  was  ic 
the  previous  book. 
ON  WITH  TORCHY.      Illustrated  by  F.  Foster  Lincoln. 

Torchy  falls  desperately  in  love  with  "the  only  girl  that  svef 
was,"  but  that  young  society  woman's  aunt  tries  to  keep  the  young 
people  apart,  which  brings  about  many  hilariously  funny  situations, 
TORCHY,  PRIVATE  SEC.  .  Illustrated  by  F.  Foster  Lincoln. 

Torchy  rises  from  the  position  of  office  boy  to  that  of  secretary 
lor  the  Corrugated  Iron  Company.    The  story  is  full  of  humor  and 
infectious  American  slang. 
WILT  THOU  TORCHY.      Illus.  by  F.  Snapp  and  A.  W.  Browa, 

Torchy  goes  on  a  treasure  search  expedition  to  the  Florida  West 
Coast,  in  company  with  a  group  of  friends  of  the  Corrugated  Trust 
and  with  his  friend's  aunt,  on  which  trip  Torchy  wins  the  aunt's 
permission  to  place  an  engagement  ring  on  Vee's  finger. 

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JAMES   OLIVER  CURWOOD'S 

STORIES   OF    ADVENTURE 

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KAZAN 

The  tale  of  a  "quarter-strain  wolf  and  three-quarters  bosky" 
torn  between  the  call  of  the  human  and  his  wild  mate. 
BAREE.  SON  OF  KAZAN 

The  story  of  the  son  of  the  blind  Grey  Wolf  and  the  gallant 
part  he  played  in  the  lives  of  a  man  and  a  woman. 
THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

The  story  of  the  King  of  Beaver  Island,  a  Mormon  colony, 
and  his  battle  with  Captain  Plum. 

THE  DANGER  TRAIL 

A  tale  of  snow,  of  love,  of  Indian  vengeance,  and  a  mystery 
of  the  North. 

THE  HUNTED  WOMAN 

A  tale  of  the  "end  of  the  line,"  and  of  a  great  fight  in  the 
"valley  of  gold"  for  a  woman. 
THE  FLOWER  OF  THE  NORTH 

The  story  of  Fort  o1  God,  where  the  wild  flavor  of  the  wilder- 
ness is  blended  with  the  courtly  atmosphere  of  France. 

THE  GRIZZLY  KING 

The  story  of  Thor,  the  big  grizzly  who  lived  in  a  valley  where 
man  had  never  come.  _ 

ISOBEL 

A  love  story  of  the  Far  North. 
THE  WOLF  HUNTERS 

A  thrilling  tale  of  adventure  in  the  Canadian  wilderness. 
THE  GOLD  HUNTERS 

,     The  story  of  adventure  in  the  Hudson  Bay  wilds, 
THE  COURAGE  OF  MARGE  O'DOONE 

Filled  with  exciting  incidents  in  the  land  of  strong  men  and 
women. 
BACK  TO  GOD'S  COUNTRY 

A  thrilling  story  of  the  Far  North.     The  great  Photoplay  was 
Tiade  from  this  book. 

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RALPH    CONNOR'S  STORIES 

OF   THE    NORTHWEST 

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THE  SKY  PILOT  IN  NO  MAN'S  LAND 

The  clean-hearted,  strong-limbed  man  of  the  West  leaves 
his  hills  and  forests  to  fight  the  battle  for  freedom  in  the 
old  world. 

BLACK  ROCK 

A  story  of  strong  men  in  the  mountains  of  the  West.1 
THE  SKY  PILOT 

A  story  of  cowboy  life,  abounding  in  the  freshest  humor/ 
the  truest  tenderness  and  the  finest  courage. 

THE  PROSPECTOR 

A  tale  of  the  foothills  and  of  the  man  who  came  to  them' 
to  lend  a  hand  to  the  lonely  men  and  women  who  needed  a1 
protector. 

THE  MAN  FROM  GLENGARRY  • 

This  narrative  brings  us  into  contact  with  elemental  and 
volcanic  human  nature  and  with  a  hero  whose  power  breathes 
from  every  word. 
GLENGARRY  SCHOOL  DAYS 

In  this  rough  country  of  Glengarry,  Ralph  Connor  has 
found  human  nature  in  the  rough. 

THE  DOCTOR  * 

The  story  of  a  "preacher-doctor"  whom  big  men  and 
reckless  men  loved  for  his  unselfish  life  among  them. 
THE  FOREIGNER 

A  tale  of  the  Saskatchewan  and  of  a  "  foreigner "  who 
made  a  brave  and  winning  fight  for  manhood  and  love. 
CORPORAL  CAMERON 

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which  Ralph  Connor  builds  all  his  stories,  appears  again  in 
this  book. 

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THE  NOVELS  OF 
GRACE    LIVINGSTON    HILL     LUTZ 


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THE  BEST  MAN 

_  Through  a  strange  series  of  adventures  a  young  man  finds 
himself  propelled  up  the  aisle  of  a  church  and  married  to  a 
strange  girl. 

A  VOICE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

On  her  way  West  the  heroine  steps  off  by  mistake  at  a  lonely 
watertank  into  a  maze  of  thrilling  events. 

THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Every  member  of  the  family  will  enjoy  this  spirited  chronicle 
of  a  young  girl's  resourcefulness  and  pluck,  and  the  secret  of 
the  ' '  enchanted ' '  barn. 

THE  WITNESS 

The  fascinating  story  of  the  enormous  change  an  incident 
wrought  in  a  man's  life. 

MARCIA  SCHUYLER 

A  picture  of  ideal  girlhood  set  in  the  time  of  full  skirts  and 
poke  bonnets. 

LO,   MICHAEL  I 

A  story  of  unfailing  appeal  to  all  who  love  and  understand  boys. 
THE  MAN  OF  THE  DESERT 

An  intensely  moving  love  story  of  a  man  of  the  desert  and  a 
girl  of  the  East  pictured  against  the  background  of  the  Far  West. 

PHOEBE  DEANE 

A  tense  and  charming  love  story,  told  with  a  grace  and  a  fer- 
vor with  which  only  Mrs.  Lutz  could  tell  it. 

DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING 

A  romance  of  the  last  century  with  all  of  its  old-fashioned 
charm.  A  companion  volume  to  "Marcia  Schuyler"  and 
"  Phoebe  Deane." 

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"STORM  COUNTRY"  BOOKS  BY 

GRACE  MILLER  WHITE 

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JUDY  OF  ROGUES'  HARBOR 

Judy's  untutored  ideas  of  God,  her  love  of  wild  things, 
her  faith  in  life  are  quite  as  inspiring  as  those  of  Tess. 
Her  faith  and  sincerity  catch  at  your  heart  strings.  This 
book  has  all  of  the  mystery  and  tense  action  of  the  other 
Storm  Country  books. 

TESS  OF  THE  STORM  COUNTRY 

It  was  as  Tess,  beautiful,  wild,  impetuous,  that  Mary 
Pickford  made  her  reputation  as  a  motion  picture  actress. 
How  love  acts  upon  a  temperament  such  as  hers — a  tem- 
perament that  makes  a  woman  an  angel  or  an  outcast,  ac- 
cording to  the  character  of  the  man  she  loves — is  the 
theme  of  the  story. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  STORM  COUNTRY 

The  sequel  to  "  Tess  of  the  Storm  Country,"  with  the 
same  wild  background,  with  its  half-gypsy  life  of  the  squat- 
ters— tempestuous,  passionate,  brooding.  Tess  learns  the 
"  secret "  of  her  birth  and  finds  happines*  and  love  through 
her  boundless  faith  in  life. 

FROM  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  MISSING 

A  haunting  story  with  its  scene  laid  near  the  country 
familiar  to  readers  of  "  Tess  of  the  Storm  Country." 

ROSE  O'  PARADISE 

"  Jinny  "  Singleton,  wild,  lovely,  lonely,  but  with  a  pas- 
sionate yearning  for  music,  grows  up  in  the  hou§e  of  Lafe 
Grandoken,  a  crippled  cobbler  of  the  Storm  Country.  Her 
romance  is  full  of  power  and  glory  and  tenderness. 

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STORIES  OF  RARE  CHARM  BY 

GENE   STRATTON-PORTER 

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MICHAEL  O'HALLQRAN.      Illustrated  by  Frances  Rogers. 

Michael  is  a  quick-witted  little  Irish  newsboy ,  living  in  Northern 
Indiana.     He  adopts  a  deserted  little  girl,  a  cripple.     He  also  aa- 
jumes  the  responsibility  of  leading  the  entire  rural  community  up* 
ward  and  onward, 
LADDIE.      Illustrated  by  Herman  Pfeifer. 

This  is  a  bright,  cheery  tale  with  the  scenes  laid  in  Indiana.  Tha 
story  is  told  by  Little  Sister,  the  youngest  member  of  a  large  family, 
but  it  is  concerned  not  so  much  with  childish  doings  as  with  the  love 
affairs  of  older  members  of  the  family.  Chief  among  them  is  that 
of  Laddie  and  the  Princess,  an  English  girl  who  has  come  to  live  in 
the  neighborhood  and  about  whose  family  there  hangs  a  mystery. 
THE  HARVESTER.  Illustrated  by  W.  L.  Jacobs. 

"The  Harvester,"  is  a  man  of  the  woods  and  fields,  and  if  th« 
book  had  nothing  in  it  but  the  splendid  figure  of  this  man  it  would 
be  notable.     But  when  the  Girl  comes  to  his ''Medicine  Woods," 
there  begins  a  romance  of  the  rarest  idyllic  quality. 
FRECKLES.      Illustrated. 

Freckles  is  a  nameless  waif  when  the  tale  opens,  but  the  way  in 
which  he  takes  hold  of  life  ;  the  nature  friendships  he  forms  in  the 
great  Limberlost  Swamp  ;  the  manner  in  which  everyone  who  meet* 
him  succumbs  to  the  charm  of  his  engaging  personality  ;  and  bin 
love-story  with  "  The  Angel  "  are  full  of  real  sentiment, 
A  GIRL  OF  THE  LIMBERLOST.  Illustrated. 

The  story  of  a  girl  of  the  Michigan  woods ;  a  buoyant,  loveabJ« 
type  of  the  self-reliant  American.  Her  philosophy  is  one  of  love  and 
kindness  towards  all  things  ;  her  hope  is  never  dimmed.  And  by 
the  sheer  beauty  of  her  soul,  and  the  purity  of  her  vision,  she  wins  from 
barren  and  unpromising  surroundings  those  rewards  of  high  courage, 
AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  RAINBOW.  Illustrations  in  colors. 

The  scene  of  this  charming  love  story  is  laid  in  Central  Indiartk 
The   story  is  one  of  devoted  friendship,  and  tender  self-sacrificing 
love.     The  novel  is  brimful  of  the  most  beautiful  word  painting  at 
nature,  and  its  pathos  and  tender  sentiment  will  endear  it  to  alL 
THE  SONG  OF  THE  CARDINAL.      Profusely  illustrated. 

A  love  ideal  of  the  Cardinal  bird  and  his  mate,  told  with  delicacy 
and  humor.  __ 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


GREY'S  NOVELS 

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THE  LIGHT  OF  WESTERN  STARS 

A  New  York  society  girl  buys  a  ranch  which  becomes  the  center  of  frontier  war- 
/are.  _  Her  loyal  superintendent  rescues  her  when  she  is  captured  by  bandits.  A 
Surprising-  climax  brings  the  story  to  a  delightful  close. 

THE  RAINBOW  TRAIL 

The  story  of  a  young1  clergyman  who  becomes  a  wanderer  in  the  great  westers 
aplands~».atil  at  last  love  and  faith  awake. 

DESERT  GOLD 

The  story  describes  the  recent  uprising'  along  the  border,  and  ends  with  the  finding 
•01  the  gold  which  two  prospectors  had  willed  to  the  girl  who  is  the  story's  heroine. 

RIDERS  OF  THE  PURPLE  SAGE 


A  picturesque  romance  of  Utah  ot  some  forty  years  ago  when  Mormon  authorits 
•'•>•'     The  prosecution  of  Jane  Withersteen  is  the  theme^of  the  story. 


•ruled? 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  PLAINSMEN 

1  ttis  is  the  record  of  a  trip  which  the  author  took  with  Buffalo  Jones,  known  as  the 
preserver  of  the  American  bison,  across  the  Arizona  desert  and  of  a  hunt  in  "that 
wonderful  country  of  deep  canons  and  giant  pines." 

THE  HERITAGE  OF  THE  DESERT 

A  lovely  girl,  who  has  been  reared  among  Mormons,  learns  to  love  a  young  New 
Englander.  The  Mormon  religion,  however,  demands  that  the  girl  shall  become 
the  second  wife  of  one  of  the  Mormons — Well,  that's  the  problem  of  this  great  story. 

THE  SHORT  STOP 

The  young  hero,  tiring  of  his  factory  grind,  starts  out  to  win  fame  and  fortune  as 
ft  professional  ball  player.  His  hard  knocks  at  the  start  are  followed  by  such  success 
as  clean  sportsmanship,  courage  and  honesty  ought  to  win. 

BETTY  ZANE  t 

This  story  tells  of  the  bravery  and  heroism  of  Betty,  the  beautiful  young  sister  of 
old  Colonel  Zane,  one  of  the  bravest  pioneers. 


After  killing  a  man  in  self  defense,  Buck  Duane  becomes  an  outlaw  along  the 
Texas  border.  In  a  camp  on  the  Mexican  side  of  the  river,  he  finds  a  young  girl  held 
prisoner,  and  in  attemptinpr  to  rescue  her,  brings  down  upon  himself  the  wrath  of  her 
captors  and  henceforth  is  hunted  on  one  side  by  honest  men,  on  the  other  by  outlaws. 

-THE  BORDER  LEGION 

Joan  Randle,  in  a  spirit  of  anger,  sent  Jim  Cleve  out  to  a  lawless  Western  mining 
Camp,  to  prove  his  mettle.  Then  realizing  that  she  loved  him — she  followed  him  out. 
On  her  way,  she  is  captured  by  a  bandit  '.-.id,  and  trouble  begins  when  she  shoots 
Kells,  the  leader — and  nurses  him  to  health  again.  Here  enters  another  romance— 
when  Joan,  disguised  as  an  outlaw,  observes  Jim,  in  the  throes  of  dissipation.  A  gold 
Urike,  a  thrilling  robbery— gambling  and  gun  play  carry  you  along  breathlessly. 

THE   LASl*  OF  THE  GREAT  SCOUTS, 

By  Helen  Cody  Wetmore  ^nd  Zane  Grey 

The  life  story  of  Colonel  William  F.  Cody,  "  Buffalo  Bill,"  as  told  by  his  sister  ano 
Zane  Grey.  It  begins  with  his  boyhood  in  Iowa  and  his  first  encounter  with  an  In- 
dian. We  see  "Bill"  as  a  pony  express  rider,  then  near  Fort  Sumter  as  Chief  of 
the  Scouts,  and  later  engaged  in  the  most  dangerous  Indian  campaigns.  There*" 
also  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  travels  of  "The  Wild  Wesf_"  Show.  No  char- 
acter In  public  life  makes  a  stronger  appeal  to  the  imagination  of  America  than 
"  Buffalo  Bill,"  whose  daring  and  bravery  made  him  famous. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


NOVELS  OF  FRONTIER  LIFE  BY 

WILLIAM   MACLEOD   RAINE 

May  be  had  wherever  books  are  sold.     *  Ask  for  Grosset  &  Dunlap's  list 

MAVERICKS 

A  tale  of  the  western  frontier,  where  the  "  rustler  "  abounds.    One  of  the  sweetes^ 
love  stories  ever  told. 

A  TEXAS  RANGER 

How  a  member  of  the  border  police  saved  the  life  of  an  innocent  man,  followed  a 
fugitive  to  Wyoming,  and  then  passed  through  deadly  peril  to  ultimate  happiness. 

WYOMING 

In  this  vivid  story  the  author  brings  out  the  turbid  life  of  the  frontier  with  all  its 
engaging  dash  and  vigor. 

RIDGWAY  OF  MONTANA 

The  icene  is  laid  in  the  mining  centers  of  Montana,  where  politics  and  mining  in- 
dustries are  the  religion  of  the  country. 

BUCKY  O'CONNOR 

Every  chapter  teem*  with  wholesome,  stirrinc  adventures,  replete  with  the  Huhing 
spirit  of  the  border. 
CROOKED  TRAILS  AND  STRAIGHT 

A  story  of  Arizona  ;  of  swift-riding  men  and  darinfc  outlaws ;  of  a  bitter  feud  be- 
tween cattle-men  and  sheep-herders. 

BRAND  BLOTTERS 

A  story  of  the  turbid  life  of  the  frontier  with  a  charming  love  interest  running 
through  its  page*. 
STEVE  YEAGER 

A  story  brimful  of  excitement,  wkh  enough  gun-play  and  adventure  to  suit  anyone. 
A  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  DONS 

A  Western  story  of  romance  and  adventure,  comprising  a  vivacious  and  stirring" 
tale. 
THE  HIGHGRADER 

A  breezy,  pleasant  and  amusing  love  story  of  Western  mining  life. 
THE  PIRATE  OF  PANAMA 

A  tale  of  old-time  pirates  and  of  modern  love,  hate  and  adventure. 
THE  YUKON  TRAIL 

A  crisply  entertaining  love  story  in  the  land  where  might  makes  right. 
THE  VISION  SPLENDID 

In  which  two  cousins  are  contestants  for  tke  same  prizes  ;  political  honors  and  the 
band  of  a  girl. 
THE   SHERIFF'S  SON 

The  hero  finally  conquers  both  himself  and  his  enemies  and  wins  the  love  of  a 
wonderful  girl. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,          PUBLISHERS,          NEW  YORK 


JACK    LONDON'S    NOVELS 

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JOHN  BARLEYCORN.    Illustrated  by  H.  T.  Dunn. 

This  remarkable  book  is  a  record  of  the  author's  own  amazing 
experiences.  This  big,  brawny  world  rover,  who  has  been  ac- 
quainted with  alcohol  from  boyhood,  comes  out  boldly  against  John 
Barleycorn.  It  is  a  string  of  exciting  adventures,  yet  it  forcefully 
conveys  an  unf  orgetable  idea  and  makes  a  typical  Jack  London  book, 

\  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  MOON.    Frontispiece  by  George  Harper, 

The  story  opens  in  the  city  slums  where  Billy  Roberts,  teamster 
and  ex-prize  fighter,  and  Saxon  Brown,  laundry  worker,  meet  and 
love  and  marry.  They  tramp  from  one  end  of  California  to  the 
other,  and  in  the  Valley  of  the  Moon  find  the  farm  paradise  that  is 
to  be  their  salvation. 

BURNING  DAYLIGHT.    Four  illustrations. 

The  story  of  an  adventurer  who  went  to  Alaska  and  laid  the 
foundations  of  his  fortune  before  the  gold  hunters  arrived.  Bringing 
his  fortunes  to  the  States  he  is  cheated  out  of  it  by  a  crowd  of  money 
kings,  and  recovers  it  only  at  the  muzzle  of  his  gun.  He  then  starts 
out  as?a  merciless  exploiter  on  his  own  account.  Finally  he  takes  to 
drinking  and  becomes  a  picture  of  degeneration.  About  this  time 
he  falls  in  love  with  his  stenographer  and  wins  her  heart  but  not 
her  hand  and  then — but  read  the  story! 

A  SON  OF  THE  SUN.  Illustrated  by  A.  O.  Fischer  and  C.W.  Ashley. 

David  Grief  was  once  a  light-haired,  blue-eyed  youth  who  came 
from  England  to  the  South  Seas  in  search  of  adventure.  Tanned 
like  a  native  and  as  lithe  as  a  tiger,  he  became  a  real  son  of  the  sun. 
The  Hf  e  appealed  to  him  and  he  remained  and  became  very  wealthy. 
THE  CALL  OF  THE  WILD.  Illustrations  by  Philip  R.  Goodwin  and 
Charles  Livingston  Bull.  Decorations  by  Charles  E.  Hooper. 

A  book  of  dog  adventures  as  exciting  as  any  man's  exploits 
could  be.  Here  is  excitement  to  stir  the  blood  and  here  is  pictur- 
esque color  to  transport  the  reader  to  primitive  scenes.  J 

THE  E'.EA  WOLF.    Illustrated  by  W.  J.  Aylward. 

Told  "by  a  man  whom  Fate  suddenly  swings  from  his  fastidious 
life  into  the  power  c^f  the  brutal  captain  of  a  sealing  schooner.     A 
novel  of  adventure  warmed  by  a  beautiful  love  episode  that  every 
reader  will  hail  with  delight. 
-  WHITE  FANG.    Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston  Bull. 

''White  Fang"  is  part  dog,  part  wolf  and  all  brute,  living  in  the 
frozen  north ;  he  gradually  comes  under  the  spell  of  man's  com- 
panionship, and  surrenders  all  at  the  last  in  a  fight  with  a  bull  dog. 
Thereafter  he  is  man's  loving  slave. 

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